By Amiel Antonio
For many years, citizens of Hagonoy in Bulacan province have been struggling in their day-by-day lives as the aggravating situation of their town in terms of flood and high tide continues to drastically affect them— from transportation, business, and even education.
Children play and swim in the middle of a pathway submerged in coastal flooding at Brgy. Sagrada Hagonoy, Bulacan. Photo from Hagonoy Trending Stories
Crisel*, 20, a college student who has lived in Hagonoy for more than 15 years, shared her struggle with high tide when she was in high school.
“Malala e, nu’ng pumasok ako at sumakay ng tricycle tapos inabot ng high tide ‘yung uniform ko, pumasok akong basa at hiyang-hiya,” she said.
This is also the same experience for Kristine*, a 20-year-old Hagonoeño.
“Isang beses noong grade 11, exam namin tapos ang pasok is mga 1 PM, high tide nu’ng time na 'yon. ‘Yung nasakyan kong tricycle 'di siya kataasan kaya ayun, inabot ‘yung upuan ng tubig, pumasok akong basa ‘yung pantalon,” Kristine shared in an interview.
“Tapos one time, noong grade 11 din, kinailangan naming sunduin ‘yung dalawang kaklase ko sa Sta. Elena kasi hanggang hita ‘yung tubig, pumasok kaming apat na basa [ang] mga pantalon,” she added.
A student and his father ride on a tricycle going to school at the coastal town of Hagonoy in Bulacan province. Photo by Eloisa Lopez, REUTERS
On the other hand, local businesses were also gravely affected. Ka Angel, a locally known ice cream maker in the said town and owner of Angel’s Ice Cream, had no choice but to relocate his physical store to another location.
This has cost him an enormous amount of money.
“Sa Sto. Niño kasi ang original na lugar ng tindahan ko, doon, binabaha talaga. Pero hindi gano’n kalala dati, kaya dinarayo lagi ng mga parokyano ‘yung sorbetes namin at talagang malaki kinikita ko,” he shared as he reminisce the glorious days of his business.
“Pero nu’ng nag-pandemic nga, tapos lumala ‘yung baha sa amin, wala nang masyadong customer na bumibili. Bumagsak talaga negosyo ko. Kaya wala akong choice kundi ilipat na sa hindi bahain na lugar [‘yung] tindahan ko at mas murang upa na puwesto. Nagastos nga lang talaga nang malaki.”
Angel’s Ice Cream used to have five branches and two franchises in Bulacan— Hagonoy, Paombong, Calumpit, Malolos-Crossing, Malolos-Lugam, Bulakan, and Guiguinto. But due to the effect of pandemic and constant high tide to his earnings, Ka Angel was forced to close three of his stores. His Hagonoy branch is now located in Brgy. Poblacion, a way more elevated location compared to Brgy. Sto. Niño.
In terms of transportation, the three agreed that the fare becomes more expensive when it is high tide season.
According to them, their normal tricycle fare is 15 to 20 pesos, and when the water level is abnormally high, it doubles to 30 to 40 pesos. Now that we are in the middle of a pandemic and an economic crisis, their fare has become 20 to 25 pesos. Hence the 40 to 50 peso fare during high tide.
However, this depends on the driver. Crisel shared one of her experiences regarding the transportation in their town.
“Siguro, nu’ng ako umuwi ng medyo gabi na tapos may high tide, imbes na 40 ang isingil sa akin, 70 ‘yung kinuha kasi sobrang laki raw ng tubig kumpara nu’ng mga nakaraan,” she said. “Pero naiintindihan ko rin naman ‘yon, kasi ang mahal din talaga ng gas. Pero ‘yun nga, nakakabutas talaga ng bulsa ang mag-commute sa Hagonoy.”
In a documentary entitled “Lubog: Ang Dokumentaryo” by Lathala, various experts were invited to discuss Hagonoy’s status when it comes to flooding.
WATCH: Lubog: Ang Dokumentaryo by Lathala
According to Liz Mungcal of Bulacan Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Management Office (PDRRMO) in the said documentary, Hagonoy is a “natural catch basin,” a primary reason why flood waters coming from other elevated towns are stuck during rainy seasons. This is also known as “back flooding.” The town is also a coastal and low-lying area, this is why it is prone to coastal flooding or what the locals know as high tide.
And when the flood waters coming down meet with the coastal flooding, the water stays and gets stuck in the town for several days according to locals, making their roads submerge in water and their lives struggle from swimming against the tides of fate.
This is also one of the many reasons why the seafood capital of Bulacan was dubbed by many as “BaHagonoy.”
Hagonoy's location from the Philippine map. Image from Google Maps
'BaHagonoy'
Based on the records of Hagonoy Advancement & Rehabilitation Initiative Foundation (HARI Foundation), the flood and high tide problems of the town began in the 70’s. And when years passed and the situation worsened, the town became immensely popular for being the most flooded area in the province.
While many people poke fun at the town’s nickname, some do not agree that it should be a laughingstock.
For Kristine, making fun of that nickname normalizes the problem and makes their local leaders take advantage of the situation.
“It's being normalized to the point na ‘yung mga supposedly leaders ng bayan ay nagte-take advantage dito by romanticizing the daily struggles ng mga nasasakupan nila and making it appear like we, Hagonoeños, are okay with living like this,” she said.
Crisel also shared her opinion on what other people think about their town.
“Mayroon kasi ‘di ba tayong kultura na dinadaan na lang sa humor ang mga problema. Nagiging biro na lang ito para sa iba kasi nga ito naman na, wala tayong magawa, tawanan na lang,” she said.
“Ang pangit tuloy kasi imbes na sa magandang bagay nagiging kilala ‘yung bayan namin ay sa baha pa, parang ‘pag sinabi mo na taga-Hagonoy ka sasabihin agad na, ‘Hindi ba malaki baha sa inyo?’ O kaya naman, ‘Hindi ka ba mahihirapan umuwi, may masasakyan ka pa ba?’”
Meanwhile, founder and President of Alyansa ng mga Baybaying Bayan ng Bulacan at Pampanga (ABB-BP) and Hagonoy’s former Mayor Angel Lontok Cruz shared in an interview that even he has noticed the changes of water level in their town over the years.
“Nakikita natin na kumpara sa mga nakaraang taon, ang tubig ngayon ay mas malalim. ‘Yang problema ng bayan natin ay kailangang mapaunawa sa marami na hindi nangangahulugang tumaas ‘yung dagat o tumaas ‘yung ilog. Ang kalaliman ng tubig ay dahil sa pag-impis ng lupa, o ground subsidence,” he said.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, ground subsidence is a “gradual settling or sudden sinking of the Earth’s surface.”
Photo from Fluence Corporation
Read more about land subsidence here: What is Subsidence?
This means that while the sea level rises due to liquefaction of Antarctic ice sheets, the ground level also drops. The water becomes deeper and submerges the land.
In the documentary by Lathala, Professor Fernando Siringan of UP Marine Science Institute said that each year, because of global warming, the sea level rises 1.4 cm and the ground level drops 1 cm per year with a total average of 2.4 cm flood water rise yearly.
Furthermore, the town of Hagonoy is connected to the Pampanga or Delta river and Labangan channel. The back flooding from higher provinces passes through these rivers onto Hagonoy and finally to Manila Bay. According to the HARI Foundation’s data, the Delta river drops 600 cubic meters of water per second while the Labangan river drops 1,200 cubic meters per second. The problem here is that the rivers of Hagonoy only have a capacity of 2,000,000 cubic meters, and high tide water is not included in this measurement.
Meaning to say, these amounts of water is too much for Hagonoy to hold as a natural catch basin.
Professor Fernando Siringan of UP Marine Science Institute. Photo from Lathala
Photo from UP Marine Science Institute
The rise of 'tikling'
Tricycle and jeepney drivers are one of the sectors mostly affected by high tide. From the high cost of gasoline to struggles in braving the tides, some of them were forced to upgrade their vehicles to what they call “tikling tricycles.”
Tikling is a species of bird that has long legs and is abundant in the Philippines. This has become the inspiration behind the famous tikling tricycles of Hagonoy in Bulacan. It was once featured in GMA’s Dapat Alam Mo segment.
WATCH: Monster tryke o 'tikling' sa Hagonoy, silipin!
In the video, an engineer was interviewed and asked for his opinion about the said innovation. He said that it is too dangerous for the passengers and drivers especially if it is not sturdy enough. In defense, some locals of Hagonoy commented on the said video and pointed out the incompetence of the government to solve their town’s problem.
“Dapat kasi pag-aralan n’yo kung pa’no n’yo mababawasan o mahinto ang high tide,” a netizen said.
“Imbes na gawan ng paraan ng gobyerno ang problema sa baha, ‘yung isang mahirap na mamamayan na ang nag-adjust. ‘Yung mga nasa itaas, sila may kakayahan para solusyunan ‘yung problema na ‘yan pero wala silang ginagawa,” another commenter said.
The rise of tikling may be something to celebrate for others as this is a sign of resilience and creativity of Filipinos. However, it is also a manifestation that the problem continues to get worse instead of being solved.
“Sa isang banda nakakatulong s’ya kapag malaki ang baha dahil nakakapasada pa rin ang mga driver; at ‘yung mga pasahero naman, lalo ‘yung mga nakasapatos na papasok sa eskuwelahan o trabaho ay mahahatid nang ‘di nababasa,” said Crisel when asked about her thoughts on tikling.
“Pero maiisip din natin na isa nga ito sa naging paraan natin upang mamuhay na lang kasama ng baha imbes na solusyonan ito. ‘Yung mga driver pinili na lang nila gumastos ng malaki para sa tikling nila nang sa gayon ay may kitain sila tuwing malaki ang tubig. Nakakalungkot ito dahil tila walang pakikipag-ugnayan o solusyong pangtransportasyon ang munisipyo.”
Kristine also shared that too much resiliency just gives a free pass for the powerful.
“I get it, Filipinos are resilient. However, too much resiliency gives the government officials a free pass to be incompetent,“ she said.
WATCH: Hagonoeño students ride tricycles in the middle of high tide. Video from Hagonoy Trending Stories
According to some drivers, upgrading their tricycles into tikling has cost them almost 50,000 pesos, but it depends on the height they want. Some said that a 7 feet tall tikling would cost them 70, 000 pesos.
Karlo*, a tikling owner, said that he had no choice but to upgrade his vehicle to continue his livelihood even during high tide season.
“Wala akong choice, e. Kapag normal lang kasi na tricycle, mahihirapan akong pumasada at magastos din magpagawa araw-araw kapag may nasisira. Kaya pina-upgrade ko ‘yung akin [tricycle], para kahit mataas e tubig may pasada ako, may kita ako,” he said.
He admitted that this high tide problem drastically affects his earnings, especially when his tricycle is not upgraded yet. Karlo is a father of a 1-year-old baby. His daily income is just enough to buy the needs of his family, but during high tide, even though having a tikling tricycle, his income becomes lesser.
“Kapag may hightide talaga, mababa kita. Kasi hindi naman lumalabas mga pasahero, mga estudyante lang tapos pumapasok sa opisina. Madalas nga kanselado pa klase ‘pag malaki tubig, e ‘di walang kita masyado,” he shared.
“Pero ayos na rin kahit papaano, kumikita pa rin kahit high tide dahil sa tikling. Pero sana, kung may ginagawa lang ‘yung gobyerno sa problema namin sa Hagonoy, e ‘di hindi na namin kailangang magpa-upgrade sa tikling. Malaking pera din ‘yung hinuhulog ko para d’yan, e,” he added.
Concrete plans, not band aid solutions
Over the years, Bulakeños have witnessed how various construction machines destroy and then fix the roads. This is nothing new in Hagonoy. In hopes of giving a solution to their high tide problem, their LGU have been doing that for years. However, while the road elevates, the houses beside it get drowned by water during high tide.
WATCH: A grandmother tries to get out of her house beside the road during a high tide in Hagonoy, Bulacan. Video from Daisy Ramos
“Hindi naman solusyon sa baha ‘yang pagtaas ng kalsada, e,” said Crisel. “Aanhin mo ‘yung mataas ‘yung daan pero lubog naman ‘yung mga kabahayan?”
“Coastal town ang Hagonoy; ‘yung pagpapataas ng mga daan o paghuhukay ng mga ilog at pagpapagawa ng dike ay band aid solution lamang,” Kristine also aired her sentiment.
In addition to this, Angel Cruz have mentioned during the interview that a hundred million budget was allocated for road projects of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH). For him, those kinds of projects are not even the best solution for Hagonoeños’ struggle.
“Walang konkretong solusyon sa baha ang napaglagyan ng budget maliban sa pagtataas ng mga daan na perwisyo lang sa mga bahay at negosyo na nasa tabi nito dahil kinukulong nito ang tubig sa halip na pigilan,” he said. “Ang estratehiya ng munisipyo para solusyunan ang problema sa baha ay kulang.”
What Hagonoy needs, according to Cruz, is not a band aid solution but a nature-based and long-term solution.
“Ang isang makabagong solusyon ngayon ay ang tinatawag nilang nature-based solution. Payo ng mga eksperto, ang problemang ito ng mga batong dike [ay] tulad din ng problema ng mga batong daan— madali silang mabiyak. Wala kang makikitang sementadong daan at sementadong dike na nagtagal na buo pa rin. Kapag nabiyak kasi ‘yan mahirap na ayusin ‘yan. Sisirain mo saka mo ulit aayusin. Gaya ng mga daan sa Bulacan,” Cruz said.
He also added that mangrove planting would be an ideal solution and to improve biodiversity in their rivers.
Volunteers plant mangroves in Lian, Batangas. Photo from Toyota Newsroom
“Mahalaga rin ang mga pangmatagalang solusyon gaya ng pagpapalago ulit ng mga bakawan at mga sasa. Ang ginagawa kasi ng mga puno na ‘yan, ‘yun kasing pag-ugat nila nangangahulugan na kinakapitan nila ‘yung lupa. Binabahayan at iniitlugan din ‘yan ng mga isda.”
The ABB-BP head was also saddened by the “unplanned” dredging of river in Brgy. San Isidro last September 2022 headed by Congressman Danny Domingo.
“Kaya nakakalungkot na ‘yung pag-backhoe sa mga kailugan natin nitong nakaraan, iyong hindi planadong paghuhukay, nasira tuloy ‘yung mga sasa sa gilid ng ilog. Paraan sana ang mga sasa na ‘yon para hindi gumuho ‘yung ating mga pangpang,” he said.
According to the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), mangroves and nipa palms or mangrove palms (sasa) have the ability to capture and store carbon. The muddy soil that these mangroves live in is immensely carbon-rich and the mangroves help by holding it and the carbon in place.
The amount of carbon stored beneath in mangroves and nipa palms are estimated to be up to four times greater compared to tropical forests, making these coastal forests extremely valuable in the fight against climate change.
Read more about how mangroves can be solution to climate crisis: Mangroves as a solution to the climate crisis
Furthermore, UP Professor Fernando Siringan also said in the documentary mentioned above that dredging the river is indeed not an ideal solution especially for coastal areas like Hagonoy.
Backhoe dredging activity in Obando, Bulacan. Photo from Lorenzo Uldog
Siringan said that dredging activities are only beneficial to areas with enough stiffness. Given the current status of Hagonoy, wherein the ground level drops yearly, it is way better to widen the river than make it deeper.
“Ang dredging ay kapaki-pakinabang sa mga lugar na may kaunting stiffness, pero sa mga lugar na halos flat at malapit sa dagat, mas mabisa na palawakin mo ang ilog kaysa palalimin. Ang nangyayari kapag pinalalim mo ang mga ilog sa mga lugar na malapit sa dagat at flat na flat, pagkatapos ng isang malakas na flood— puno ulit ‘yon,” he said in the documentary.
“Kaya gumastos ka man nang milyon-milyon, isang flood lang, wala na ulit, puno na ulit [‘yung ilog],” Siringan added.
As of now, according to ABB-BP President Cruz, dredging activities and dike buildings in Hagonoy under the local administration of Mayor Flordeliza Manlapaz, wife of former Mayor Raulito Manlapaz, are not continuous.
The incumbent mayor, on the other hand, refused to have an interview due to busy schedule.
Some local folks admitted that they fear the possible erasure of Hagonoy in the Philippine map because of the abnormal rise of sea level, but Crisel still finds hope amidst this sad reality.
“Kahit alam kong malabo pa sa ngayon, umaasa pa rin ako na hindi mabubura ang Hagonoy sa mapa ng Pilipinas,” she said.
*Not their real name
TAGS: Hagonoy, Bulacan, Coastal flood, Hight Tide, Tikling tricycle, Alyansa ng mga Baybaying Bayan ng Bulacan at Pampanga, Ground subsidence, Lubog: Ang Dokumentaryo
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