Despair at the futility of our current flood control

INQUIRER PHOTO / RICHARD A. REYES

Is the Philippines doomed to tremble at the slightest wind?

Tropical Storm “Enteng” has affected 2.5 million people, damaging nearly P700 million worth of infrastructure and leaving 20 dead. On the day of its landfall, it was predicted to be a weak typhoon with maximum sustained winds of 55 kilometers per hour. Yet, the enhancement by the monsoon has elevated that strength to 85 kph.

Not only were the Manila floods waist-deep, but the alerts by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council as well as the corresponding announcements by local government units (LGUs) came too late. Despite President Marcos’ previous order for class suspensions to be announced the night before, multiple LGUs suspended classes at 2 a.m. While I do not condemn the announcements themselves—indeed, better late than never—they bring to question the inefficient interagency coordination and the insufficiency of our Doppler radars.

Doppler radars are the instruments used to sense storm severity and rainfall quantity. It is largely due to the lack of radar localization that government officials have complained about the late flood warnings.

While our current number of Doppler radars is adequate for general assessments, it makes it difficult for LGUs to discern the effects of the storm on their specific locations.

Indeed, the Philippines only maintains at least 17 Doppler radars, each having a radial spatial coverage of 120 kilometers. With the country having a land area of 300,000 square kilometers, it is easy to see why LGUs find it difficult to ascertain whether or not suspension is necessary.

This is unacceptable. When monsoons and climate change intensify even the slightest winds into strong storms, our government must take action in flood risk reduction to alleviate future disasters. It is not impossible: Japan, which is in a similar position, has fared better against rains due to its improved infrastructure and emergency procedures.

While I’m not expecting Japanese-level efficiency, our government can definitely reproduce similar mechanisms, starting with an increase in the amount of Doppler radars.