Paddling through Artex Compound

if you’re friend is a rich brat, take him to Artex Compound.

Artex is the so-called Venice of Malabon. There is no tourism facility there; nor is there any recreation area in the compound. But now tourists are going in the area to take pictures of the “floating store” given to Lanie by the GMA Public Affairs show Wish Ko Lang.

Artex didn’t start as a village in water. They used to host happy fiestas and basketball tournaments in dry land. You will see the ruins of their church, a basketball ring, and first floor houses submerged in their water world and you could almost feel the happy memories of children playing and neighbors gossiping in their front yard. But now there is no front yard, only flood, only water.

The women and children in the area make money out of boat driving. The fare per ride is five pesos. A boat, for the residents, is almost like a part of their body. It is something they cannot live without. You need a boat to buy one sachet of shampoo (some houses with a nearby store get their goods by string transport). You need a boat to fetch water. You need a boat if you want to leave or return to your house.

According to Claire Yocogco, a resident of Artex for 26 years, the water gets almost 10 feet high during storms. The violent sound of water rushing makes her fear her house might get washed away anytime.

The residents have their hunches on what caused the permanent flood in their compound. Some says it’s because of the raised roads that left their low-lying area as catch basin for rainwater. Some says their place has become the natural channel for the ponds and rivers that used to surround their area before being reclaimed by residential subdivisions. The water naturally comes back in their place no matter how often they pump it out. Eventually, they got tired of pumping it out because it is costly, and because it is a waste time. The water never really leaves.

The people of Artex have formed a cooperative to make improvements in the area. Upon entering, visitors are required to log their names and make donations to Information Officer Vivian Regudo. The funds they have accumulated last year were used to build a mini-wharf for the boats.

Nobody from the government or from scientific groups has studied ARTEX yet. Once there was a group of students who went there to get water samples but they never returned again.

And for the meantime that nobody cares, ARTEX residents are forced to cope with their own Venetian world, one paddle at a time.

How to get there:

Ride a jeepney or bus going to Malanday. Jump off to Jollibee Malinta, then ride a tricycle going to ARTEX Compound (Panghulo).

If you have your own car, take Mac Arthur highway to Malinta then turn left upon reaching Jollibee which is across a gasoline station. Drive straight to Panghulo. You could easily ask people there where Artex is.

Contact person:

Vivian Regudo 02-2797683
Lanie 09227949142