Pre-or-Post Ondoy.

I was watching the late evening news and there it was:  fifteen municipalities/cities along Laguna de Bay would possibly be submerged in flood water in the coming days. Included are Marikina, Pasig and Cainta, among others. 

What or who is the culprit?  It's too many it's hard to pinpoint exactly.

The LLDA (Laguna Lake Development Authority) pointed to the houses (old and new) which are built along the banks of Laguna de Bay as the major cause.  The Manggahan Floodwater, which is supposed to contain and manage the flow and outflow of rain water from the Bay to the bigger rivers and bays, is supposedly clogged and blocked by structures and infrastructures.  These are both illegal and legal structures, such as squatter shanties, legal residences, even municipal bridges.

I wonder, is there no government agency which oversees national housing, road and building planning and land use? I confess I am ignorant of these matters. I suppose each municipality takes care of its own.

When the destruction of "Ondoy" took place last September, the release of water from two dams was blamed; in Pasig and Cainta, there was even a rumour that the construction of the SM/Tiendesitas complex along Ugong was partly to be blamed because it blocked the flow of water into Pasig River. 

Residents of Pasig and Cainta must be shrivering right now.  The memories of Ondoy are only too recent to have new destructive events unfurl again. 

With fifteen localities in peril right now, you cannot blame people for buying into condo ownership just to be able to escape flood-prone areas.  And that's why condo costs have become too prohibitive for many. 

I have a nephew who bought a condo in Quezon City, some twenty plus square metre in area, for a million plus peso.  This, he bought from a friend who bought it several years ago, so the value is still below prevailing money.  But my sister told me it's so tiny you can't even enjoy a big screen TV.

Single or detached houses have become smaller, too. Camella Homes in Raymundo Avenue in Pasig sells a 70 sq. metre property for about 5 million pesos, while the same house and lot in Camella Antipolo sells for at least 2.7 million. At Camella in Sauyo, Quezon City, the sales rep said the prices are even higher.

Antipolo is a scenic place, but there's the risk of landslide, and then you have to contend with horrendous traffic at the Rosario Bridge, Ortigas and Sumulong Highway.  Raymundo in Pasig got flooded, too, last Ondoy and Sauyo in Quezon City is not exactly a nice residential area - the street is so narrow.

Is it post Ondoy or pre-Ondoy (first anniversary is coming up) jitters for residents along the Laguna de Bay?

Others couldn't get over the Ondoy phenomenon.