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BULACAN — Some local residents of Hagonoy, Bulacan renewed their calls for concerned agencies to address the flooding in the locality which happens with or without storms.

Tricycles in the area have been modified to drive through knee-deep water on the streets.

And a fish even randomly appeared in one of the classrooms at Hagonoy East Central School as Severe Tropical Storm Florita dumped rains in Luzon on Tuesday.

Amid the flooding, Ann Tamayo carried her daughter, who is already in Grade 7 and taller than her, on her back, sharing that they just bought her a new pair of shoes for the opening of classes at San Pedro National High School.

"Sana po masolusyonan na 'yung baha kasi po nahihirapan na po kami," Tamayo said.

(I hope they find a solution to the flood problem because we're already struggling.)

Thirty minutes after arriving school, Tamayo's daughter and her niece learned their school suspended classes due to high tide.

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"Kahit na tag-araw, baha sa amin pag high tide. 'Yan po ang pinakaproblema namin. Even may araw, pag high tide, pumupunta sa kalsada," Tamayo lamented.

(Even on a sunny day, we're experiencing floods due to high tide. That's our problem. During high tide, the streets get flooded.)

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Drenched already by the rain, Grade 9 student John Joseph Ilustre decided to just wade into floodwaters to get home after the suspension of classes. Transportation is difficult if the rain pours, he said.

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Some residents said they have already gotten used to the flooding, rain or shine. Some seemed to have accepted their fate.

“Sanay na po eh. Kasi sa 'min po, malaki tubig sa 'min. Kahit po may bota, wala rin po bota, papasok rin tubig sa bota. Sanay na rin po. Naliligo na rin po 'yan (anak ko) sa baha," said Roselle Palanoc, who proceeded to enroll her 5-year-old son, Jess Gutierrez, at the Hagonoy East Central School earlier in the day despite the flooding.

"Wala pong problema. Walang magagawa. Kung baha, baha. 'Di na po ako sasakay ng tricycle, mahal pamasahe. Bente na 'yun, pambili ng tinapay na 'yun."

(We're used to the floods already. It's useless to wear boots. My child is also used to the floods. Flooding is no longer a problem for us. We don't ride a tricycle, it's pricy. The P20 fare can be used to buy bread.)

Hagonoy East Central is the biggest public school in Barangay Sto. Niño.

Caretakers laid sandbags at the entrance points of the school supposedly to prevent floodwater from getting inside the campus.

Floodwaters inside its classrooms appear to have become normal though. In fact, despite this situation on Monday, classes were still held.

The teacher's desk was propped with two monobloc chairs, while the students' chairs were submerged in water.

And small freshwater cichlid fishes were seen swimming inside the classrooms.

Barangay chairperson Mila Lacap said they have been asking for the government’s assistance for years.

One-third of the village, where three schools are located, is submerged in floodwaters, she said.

She said the situation persists because of the following: garbage in the nearby river, infrastructure activities around the municipality, and their geographical location.

Residents said they could no longer remember when the flood problem started.

But they earnestly hope this will be addressed.

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