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WATCH: Giant tricycles ride high over Bulacan floods

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Rainiel Angelyn Figueroa, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/08/02/20230731-hagonoy-giant-tricycles-1.jpg"/><figcaption>‘Giant tricycles,’ , modified for easy navigation in flooded areas, ply the streets of Hagonoy, Bulacan on July 31, 2023. <em>Rainiel Angelyn Figueroa, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>Tricycle drivers have found a nifty workaround to the problem of perennial flooding in Hagonoy, Bulacan. </p><p>Enter the giant tricycle, with passenger cabs seemingly on stilts that are specially designed to drive through knee-deep water on the streets. </p><p>Inspired by the ‘Tikling’ (buff-banded rail), a long-legged bird usually found in Visayas islands, these high-riding vehicles are the local tricycle drivers’ short-term solution for what seems to be a long-haul flooding problem in the province located immediately north of Metro Manila. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/specials/bulacan-sinking">Life in the sinking neighborhoods of Bulacan</a></li></ul><p>“Ang Tikling malalaki talaga [na tricycle], sagad ang taas. Huwag lang yung malaking-malaki ang tubig hindi namin kaya,” tricycle driver Yo Dela Cruz told ABS-CBN News. </p><p>(The giant tricycles are really tricycles fitted to tower above the floods. But this only up to a certain extent, it really cannot drive through deeper floods.)</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/08/02/20230731-hagonoy-giant-tricycles-2.jpg"/><figcaption>The ‘Giant tricycles’ navigate the streets of Hagonoy, Bulacan easily compared to ordinary tricycles. <em>Rainiel Angelyn Figueroa, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>For P40 per ride, local resident Myke Pablo thinks these giant tricycles are a huge help for residents who need to travel despite the floods. </p><p>“Mas convenient siya sa normal na tricycle. &#x27;Di mo na iisipin na baka mabasa ka or ‘yung mga gamit mo,” the resident said. </p><p>(They are more convenient than the regular tricycles. You don&#x27;t have to worry about getting wet or your belongings getting wet.)</p><p>Since last week, the storm-enhanced southwest monsoon or habagat has dumped rain over the vast swaths of the Philippines, including Bulacan, which is home to some 3.7 million people. According to authorities, areas in Bulacan that have not experienced flooding in the past were impacted by the floods caused by the habagat.</p><p>Located at the southwest corner of Central Luzon, Hagonoy acts as ‘catch basin’ of dams in the northern part, like Angat dam. </p><p>On Sunday, the Sangguniang Bayan of Hagonoy placed the municipality under a state of calamity due to severe damage in agriculture, livelihood, and infrastructure brought by the combined effect of high tide, dam release and heavy rains brought by typhoon Egay, and the southwest monsoon strengthened by typhoon Falcon. </p><p>On Tuesday, the whole province of Bulacan followed suit, with Governor Daniel Fernando declaring a state of calamity due to the widespread floods affecting 22 out of the 24 towns.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/07/31/23/22-areas-in-bulacan-province-flooded-thousands-flee">22 areas in Bulacan province flooded; thousands flee</a></li>	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/01/23/bulacan-declares-state-of-calamity-due-to-massive-floods">Bulacan declares state of calamity due to widespread floods</a></li></ul><p>Two feet higher than usual, Tikling tricycles have steel tubes welded to the forks of the vehicles, giving them extra rise to dive in a five-foot floods around the town, but Dela Cruz still struggles to maintain it after three years of use. </p><p>“Kasi ang purpose ko naman kasi kaya ako nagpataas kasi bumabyahe ako ng madaling araw sa Malolos, may service ako. Kapag madaling araw hindi ka ubra [dahil sa laki ng tubig. Kaya nung pinagawa ko ito, para sa sarili ko huwag lang ako maabala. May tubig o wala kaya ko lumusong,” Dela Cruz added.</p><p>(My real purpose was to use it as a service for my trips to Malolos, but floods there are too high in the erly morning for ordinary tricycles. That is why I had this made (Tikling), so that I can get on with my business. Flood or no flood, I can go there.)</p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/life/08/02/20230731-hagonoy-giant-tricycles-3.jpg"/><figcaption>Locally called ‘Tikling,’ the giant tricycles have helped supplement the income of tricycle drivers specially during times when the floods affect all of their livelihood. <em>Rainiel Angelyn Figueroa, ABS-CBN News</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>“Malakas ngang kita pero malakas din ang maintenance…dati ang palitan namin ng bracket at kadena buwan ang binibilang, ngayon wala pang isang linggo palit ka na. Magkano ang isang set? P700. Dun lang talo ka na agad,” he added.</p><p>(The income from the fare is good, but maintenance is also high. Brackets and motorcycle chains used to take months before being replaced, but now it is almost every week. How much is a set? P700. That alone already counts as a loss.)</p><p>For Dela Cruz, giant tricycles may be helpful but are a temporary solution for tricycle drivers in the municipality. </p><p>There are now proposals to create mega-dikes, which would regulate water from the river.</p><p>“Hindi naman habang panahon mataas ang tricycle. Ang dapat na bigyan ng aksyon, ilog…lagyan na ng mga (mega-dike). Dapat buong Hagonoy may ganun na rin kahit paunti-unti, at least may aksyon. Pansamantala lang ito,” he said. </p><p>(We cannot keep on increasing the height of the motorcycle. The real solution is the mega-dike. Hagonoy should invest on that even bit by bit. This (giant tricycle) is just a temporary solution.)</p><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2745571" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

Tricycle drivers have found a nifty workaround to the problem of perennial flooding in Hagonoy, Bulacan. 

WATCH: Giant tricycles ride high over Bulacan floods

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WATCH: Giant tricycles ride high over Bulacan floods

Rainiel Angelyn Figueroa,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 02, 2023 08:01 PM PHT

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Updated August 16, 2023 04:57 PM PHT

Read More:

tricycles

giant

tikling

Hangonoy

Bulacan

flood

flooding

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