Uprooted bamboo fall on two cars in QC

Several bamboo that were uprooted by continuous rains from a cliff fell on two parked vehicles in Barangay Bagong Silangan, Quezon City. 

According to Maki Pulido’s report in “24 Oras” on Wednesday, the owner of the bamboo said that he did not expect the tall plants to be uprooted. 

“Parang humangin lang naman tapos bigla nalang narinig na may bumagsak. Tapos bumagsak na pala yung mga kawayan,” said resident Vidal “Dondon” Tabulog. 

(There was like a gust of wind and then suddenly I heard something fall. Then it turned out the bamboo trees had already fallen.) 

Tabulog planted the bamboo to prevent the soil from collapsing as his house sits at the edge of a steep cliff. 

“Wala namang malilipatan. Kung meron man, bakit hindi?” he said. 

(We don't know where to move to. If there is a place, why not?) 

Following the accident, Tabulog and his neighbors on the edge were told to evacuate. Tabulog’s family will temporarily seek shelter at a Christian church while their neighbors will stay with other families near them. They can all return to their houses only if the rains stopped, the report added. 

But some residents said that they have been requesting authorities to build riprap (a layer of large stones to prevent erosion) to stabilize the cliff.

“Lahat ng mga kandidato, pupunta diyan, picture-picture lang sila, sukat-sukat, wala namang nangyayari,” said resident Alicia Formento. 

(All the candidates will go there to take a picture and do some measurements, but nothing has been done.) 

The stalks of bamboo fell on an SUV and a taxi that were parked along Don Vicente Street. The family of the taxi driver expressed worry about their finances as a result of the accident. 

“Sa araw-araw namin na pangangailangan, dito lang po kami umaasa. Ito lang inaasahan namin, pinagkukunan ng pagkain namin araw-araw,” the wife of the taxi driver lamented. 

(For our daily needs, this is all we rely on. This is where we expect to get our daily food from.) 

The drivers decided to clear the bamboo that was pinning their vehicles themselves instead of waiting for emergency responders.

“Kung hintayin pa namin yung city engineer, babalikan daw nila, kaya lang may dalawang bagyo pa. Kapag gumuho ‘tong bahay, tatabunan ng lupa ang taxi,” the taxi driver said. 

(If we wait for the city engineer, although they said they'll come back, there are still two more typhoons approaching. If this house collapses, the taxi will be buried under the debris.) 

Meanwhile, over 1,700 residents in Barangay Silangan are still staying at an evacuation center even though the flood has subsided. 

But for Meralisa Rañesses, she’s not sure where to go next after evacuating as she only lives in a small hut. 

“Depende na lang po kasi nabasa na siya sa ulan. Depende na lang po kung pwede pa siya tirahan kasi yung mga plywood lumambot na po. Bahala na po,” she said. 

(I don’t know what to do now because the wood is already soaked from the rain. I’m not sure if it's still habitable because the plywood has softened. Let’s see what will happen.) 

On the other hand, the evacuation center also has allocated an area for the pets of evacuees and are being taken cared of by the Quezon City Veterinary Office. 

The local government of Quezon City has declared a state of calamity. For emergencies, residents may dial 122. — Vince Angelo Ferreras/RF, GMA Integrated News