HERE WE go again.
The rains came. The water rose. And for the nth time, Macabebe is flooded.
Homes are underwater. Roads become rivers. Livelihoods are disrupted.
For us, this is hardly breaking news.
We have lived with floods for generations. We have even learned to laugh about them. We have rechristened our beloved town, “Macababad.”
But humor only gives temporary relief.
Behind every funny post is a family worrying about food. A parent who cannot get to work. A child who cannot get to school. A farmer or fisherman watching another day’s income disappear under dirty water.
So, we complain again.
We want answers, better flood-control projects, transparent budgets, and solutions that actually work.
Fair enough.
But here is the uncomfortable part:
We are also part of the cycle.
Every flood, we get angry.
Then the relief goods arrive.
A few sacks of rice. A food pack. Bottled water. A little ayuda.
And somehow, the anger becomes quieter.
Election season comes.
A few hundred pesos. A bag of groceries. A favor. A promise.
Then we vote for the same people.
When the next flood comes, we blame climate change, global warming, the rains and the tide.
And when all else fails, we are told to be resilient.
Ekayu pa naman wari misane?
Adapt.
Move on.
What a convenient arrangement.
Government gives us relief. We thank them. Then we vote for them again.
The flood returns.
So does the cycle.
Yes, climate change is real. Macabebe is one of Pampanga’s most flood-prone towns.
But climate change cannot be the excuse for poor planning, failed projects, wasted funds, or corruption.
Perhaps we should ask a harder question:
Nanu ing sukat tamung daptan?
We cannot demand accountability today and sell our votes tomorrow.
We cannot complain about corruption and then reward the corrupt.
We cannot accept relief goods as a substitute for lasting solutions.
And we cannot keep romanticizing resilience.
Resilience is admirable when people overcome something beyond their control.
But when people are forced to endure the same problem year after year, resilience becomes an excuse.
Now more than ever, we need citizens who remember, ask where the money went, check if projects were completed, demand results, and vote accordingly.
The water may be beyond our control.
But the people we put in charge are not.
Every ballot is a sandbag.
Every demand for transparency is a wall.
Every vote that cannot be bought is a step toward breaking the cycle.
The water will rise again.
The question is:
Will we rise with it? Or, will we finally rise above it?