In observance of the fourth year anniversary of the ravage of typhoon Ulysses in Marikina, members of Gabriela Women’s Party (GWP) – Marikina conducted a candlelight protest in front of Iglesia Filipina Independiente (IFI) Marikina church on Tuesday, November 12.
“The Marcos administration has the gall to blame the waste management of Marikina even though the city has one of the best waste management programs. Yet he was the one who agreed to the continued operations of at least 20 quarrying firms in Rizal,” said GWP-Marikina.
The group campaigned for the cessation of mining and quarrying projects in Rizal province, citing that these projects are the main cause of flooding in Marikina.
Four years later, no substantial change
“We remember the onslaught of Ulysses and the gross negligence of the previous Duterte administration despite the damages we have incurred. Yet, even in the present Marcos administration, we continue to suffer every time natural disasters hit our city,” said GWP-Marikina.
31,000 citizens were forced to evacuate during the onslaught of Typhoon Carina as Marikina suffered intense flooding brought about by the relentless rains.
“Antipolo, Montalban, and other cities in Rizal were heavily flooded, naturally it would cascade down to Marikina,” said Janna Capule of Kabataan Partylist (KPL) – Marikina.
Capule mentioned that two Marikeños died during the onslaught of Carina, following an incident of an inundated barge in the Marikina river. Carina’s death toll equaled 39 following its aftermath, while 4.8 million Filipinos were affected in totality.
A month later, 9,039 citizens sought sanctuary in evacuation centers as Typhoon Enteng hit Marikina.
Capule added that the barangays near the Marikina River were among those heavily affected by the storms. “We could never forget the unease we felt when the third alarm was raised. The narratives we heard from families especially in the communities near the riverbank were haunting,” she stated.
Testimonies of villagers from Brgy. Malanday were shared in the protest with some emotionally recounting how they were forced to evacuate in their homes in the evening of Carina’s onslaught.
“In a blink of an eye, the waters have risen at alarming levels. Our houses were nearly washed out. When the water subsided, we only found mud-streaked remains of our residences. The national government must do something about the continuing deforestation in the mountainous areas of Rizal. No matter how much we prepare here in Marikina, if these destructive practices continue, we’ll still suffer during natural calamities,” a villager tearfully shared.
Green-lit quarrying projects prove to be main cause of flooding
GWP-Marikina asserted that the added 250 billion peso fund for flood control projects for 2025 of the Marcos administration will remain to be futile if the quarrying operations in the Upper Marikina River Basin (UMRB) and Rizal province continue.
Only 11.7% of forest lands remain in UMRB due to logging, quarrying, mining, and property development projects.
“We were told to be thankful that they built resorts [in UMRB]. Yet why should we be thankful? These projects only cause flooding in our areas. The forested areas in Rizal, just above Marikina, are degrading at a rapid rate. If the woodlands are cleared, nothing would catch the rainwater from the upland communities,” said Corazon Tosio of GWP-Marikina.
Tosio furthered that the rare floods in Antipolo, Montalban, and nearby towns in Rizal during Carina were brought about by the rampant deforestation.
“We should be discerning in identifying the root cause of the flooding problem. The local government already did what it could with the waste management and the continuous dredging of Marikina river, but if the national government continues to allow destructive mining and development projects in UMRB and Rizal, these efforts will only be for naught,” GWP stressed.
GWP vowed to campaign for the cessation of mining and development projects in the area during the culmination of the protest.
“We will continue to commemorate the victims of typhoon Ulysses and other natural disasters. We vow to call for justice as we push for compensation and aid for our fellow Marikeños. Most importantly, we will never back down in our rightful campaign against the numerous mining, quarrying, and development projects in upland Rizal which greatly impact Marikina as a whole,” GWP ended.
