What a terrible fate for the city. Sink or swim, as they say. Sometimes the greatest innovations come not from creativity, but from necessity. Maybe with a bit of ingenuity, Dagupan City can become the next Venice in the future...
1 meter doesn't sound like very much in the long run but it's a lot of work still, isn't it?

My own neighborhood sits very close to a massive lake. I think back then the storms here were worse, but flooding was also a major problem. A century ago, they elevated the street in what is now the older part of the neighborhood. This was a massive undertaking! It was raised higher than one story! The sidewalks that lead to the front doors of the apartments actually meet the second story door. So the grass and people's yards are down below.