Sta. Lucia Paguiaba is a small barangay in the municipality of Masantol, in the province of Pampanga. The town of Masantol is considered one of the Pampanga's catch basins. Located close to the Pampanga River, the barangay is highly vulnerable to floods. Brgy. Paguiaba is the community I've chosen to survey to determine the concerns and challenges they would like to see addressed. As an outcome, I will become more conscious of my community, and others will become knowledgeable about our Barangay.
As we are still amid the pandemic, I couldn't conduct an in-person or house-to-house survey. I made the interview possible online via google form and got eight respondents. They've allotted time and effort to answer the form I gave to them as they are interested in talking about the current challenges that the Brgy. Paguiaba is facing.
The citizens of Brgy. Paguiaba has listed some challenges and problems they've observed. Flooding, waste collection, water pollution, night alcohol drinkers, broken and slippery roads, overpopulation, noise pollution, inequitable distribution of relief supplies, ineffective governance, and abusive use of authority are the issues and concerns raised by the community. The barangay people have been dealing with these challenges for several years.
I observed that flooding was considered the most serious concern in the Brgy. Paguiaba by six of the eight respondents. Flooding is classified as a massive volume of water flood or submerging an ordinarily dry area. Flooding occurs in this case due to river flows and low ground.
I was raised and grew up in Brgy. Paguiaba. Flooding was already present, but it was just low tide; unfortunately, it became more severe as time passed. The unsolved situation of the Barangay has badly impacted many people's lives. As the flood situation worsens, many things have changed. Due to the flooding, many residents have decided to relocate. Every day has always been a struggle to live in a flooded area. Still, many individuals, particularly the elderly, opt to remain where they were born and where their hearts belong.
Danuman – a term that people describe the Barangay. Danuman refers to a large body of water or a flood. Many people of the Barangay have Alipunga, a skin allergy or disease caused by the flood, and are at risk of getting flood-related diseases. The flood peaks typically in the morning and stays throughout the day. The next day, it's the same cycle. Many roads are damaged and slippery, which makes it much more dangerous. Many homeowners must clean whenever the tide recedes since the floodwaters also enter the houses. These issues are highly alarming and must be acknowledged.
Notwithstanding, I could still sense the citizens of Brgy. Paguiaba's optimistic that the problem will resolve in the coming years. They're still seeking a more effective governance system that cares to deal with this problem. Hopefully, one day, everything will return to normal. The happy place we used to have.
Comments