Laguna flooding

Obstructions and illegal building along Laguna de Bay has slowed down the recovery process more than a week after a tropical storm hit the already damaged area. Urban building in shanty-type developments as well as the illegal parking of barges has slowed down the drainage ability of the swollen river. Some illegal residents are even being guarded against in fears of the destruction of the dike and sandbag walls being used to save particular parts of the area from being submerged. It is feared that the walls will be destroyed in order to save their submerged shanty foundations that the government considers to be illegal dwellings.
These preventative features are only temporary in construction; long-term solutions are being discussed.
This seems to be another incident involving the limited housing situations of the poor who choose – or need- to live in close proximity to large city structures. Overcrowding and a large amount of poor residents seem to lead directly to the development of unsafe shantytowns. These dwellings can be unsafe by posing a fire hazard due to poor construction, or even by increasing the instances of runoff in at-risk locations. It is a difficult task to displace these peoples in an effort to control runoff and flooding, but it is an expensive task to provide safe dwellings for all of these displaced peoples.
The river provides jobs and opportunities to the local residents. It does not seem clear if the Mayor has a clear understanding of the problem as he is quoted in saying that the river had 22 tributaries that run in and out of the river. Tributaries are called such because they are only the channels that flow into the river, not out of it. He also dreams of possible repair solutions as a convenient way to make what sounds like resort islands from displaced river beds.

http://www.mb.com.ph/node/223468/
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/metro/view/20091003-228090/Dredge-Laguna-Lake-to-prevent-flooding-mayor-urges