We visited one of our deaf students in a village in Dagupan City. Large parts of the village consist of fishponds, swamplands, and a river. Because the area is becoming overpopulated, many houses have been built, and vacant lots are rare.
As we walked toward the student's house, we found the narrow road flooded. We decided not to proceed because we would have had to wade through water that looked unsafe. The residents are probably used to this way of life. A relative who also lives in this village told me that flooding is common here, especially during the rainy season.
There has been no significant rain lately, yet the area was still flooded. This happens during high tide. Once the tide goes down, the water subsides as well.
The government is fully aware of the situation. I wonder what they are doing to mitigate the floods. While they have elevated the main roads, what about the people living in the interior areas? The roads are now higher than the ground levels of many houses.
This issue could be prevented or controlled if the government were not corrupt. The flood control problem has been in the news for a long time, but those in power are doing their best to cover up their wrongdoings.
We tried to be early but still almost late for our sign language field service. Still, it was a success. Our original plan is support the service only in the morning. We decided to go to a distant village to continue in the afternoon. It was fun!
