15/05/2026
JRN2A (GE18) | ๐๐ก๐ ๐
๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐จ๐๐๐ฒ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐
๐ฅ๐จ๐จ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฎ๐ฉ๐๐ง ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฒ
Having lived in Dagupan City for 13 years, my family and I eventually reached a breaking point, leading us to relocate. Our move was driven by a single, systemic failure: the cityโs unresolved flooding crisis. Over the years, I witnessed various administrations come and go, yet a long-term environmental solution remained elusive. While the cityโs geography is a natural challengeโbeing a low-lying delta where seven rivers convergeโthe true "floodgates" preventing progress are political inertia, corruption, and unplanned urbanization.
It is often argued that Dagupanโs vulnerability is inevitable because it is built on reclaimed land and sits at sea level. However, this excuse falls flat when compared to low-lying nations like the Netherlands, Japan, and Singapore, which have successfully engineered their way out of similar geographical traps. In my lifetime, I have seen five different mayors, yet the names rarely change; the city is locked in a cycle of political dynasties and oligarchic rivalries.
As a child captivated by local politics, I attended Miting de Avances and listened to candidates promise sophisticated flood mitigation platforms. Yet, once in power, those blueprints vanish. The implementation of environmental policy is consistently sacrificed at the altar of political interests. Even with recent probes into multi-million peso flood control projects, the citizens of Dagupan feel no relief. The water continues to rise, proving that until the cityโs political environment is fixed, its physical environment will continue to sink.
The continuous land reclamation in the city, became its big scar. Their plan to urbanize the city of Dagupan hits a big block that affects drainages, canals, rivers, ponds, and the city's trees. The heat in the city during the months of April and May, is largely different from the temperature of its surrounding cities.
It must be noted by now that environmental issues are a political issue. The people must now rethink how it has been for the past decade. How are their homes, livelihoods, living conditions, and the structure of the city they are in. Everytime that the season of typhoon hits the country, it also leaves a big damage of flooding in Dagupan. For over six decades, the same old issue has thrived in the city. When will they think of a long-term solution? When will the campaign talk about solving it be felt? And when will they care about the environment?
๐๐ซ๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ง ๐๐ฒ: Seth Jarell Diamse
๐๐ง ๐๐ฎ๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐จ๐: GE18 - Environmental Science
๐๐ก๐จ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐จ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐ฒ ๐จ๐: Philippine Star
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