‘The Metro flooding reflects a systemic failure to invest in future-proof solutions, which lies squarely with key agencies such as the DPWH…’
EVERY week since the weather bureau officially ushered in the rainy season, Metro Manila finds itself increasingly submerged.
For the nearly 15 million residents of this bustling metropolis – the very heart of the nation’s business, politics, entertainment, and culture – flooding has become an almost daily torment.
In the last two years, we can’t recall a single leader of a local government unit (LGU) proudly announcing the completion of a significant flood-mitigation project in their area or even a comprehensive effort to unblock choked drainages and waterways.
Just last week, a quick scan of the metropolis painted a sinking feeling: Quezon Avenue, half gutter deep; Biak Na Bato, waist deep; Balintawak and Barangays Tinajeros and Acacia in Malabon, gutter deep; Araneta Avenue, C3 NLEX Connector intersection, and Espana/Lacson, knee deep; and, McArthur Highway, ankle deep.
The situation is poised to worsen as the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) warned that a rising temperature will contribute to heavier rainfall and more intense weather events.
Compounding this is the alarming rise in the water level of the Philippine Sea at the rate of 5 to 7 millimeters annually – faster than the global average of 2.8 to 3.6 millimeters.
Metro Manila is a natural catch basin, having historically comprised of swamps, esteros, and natural waterways that once served as vital buffers, absorbing excess water during heavy rains.
However, rapid urbanization punctuated by road-toll construction and aggressive land reclamation, among others, has obliterated these natural barriers.
The LGUs are, maybe, banking on the Metro Manila Flood Management Project (MMFMP) to solve their problems. The MMFMP involves rehabilitation of 36 pumping stations and construction of 20 new ones across Metro cities.
But the World Bank which co-bankrolled the MMFMP’s $500-million funding said the project is only 30 percent complete, with many of the pumping stations aging and lacking the capacity to handle even normal rainfall. The government has poured more than P1 trillion into flood control programs from 2016 to 2023, but it hardly made a dent.
An additional P257 billion was contemplated in the 2025 budget but a substantial portion or P194 billion was vetoed by the President.
Of the vetoed appropriations, P26 billion was earmarked for flood-control projects under the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), which should have gone to the rehabilitation of the Marikina river and Pasig Manggahan floodways.
Measuring its economic impact, flooding could wipe out 46 percent of our economy, with projected annual losses reaching up to $124 billion from 2022 to 2050 — impacting agriculture and manufacturing, according to available data.
Our national and LGU leaders can no longer blame geography or a “sinking” metropolis for their seeming inaction. The Metro flooding reflects a systemic failure to invest in future-proof solutions, which lies squarely with key agencies such as the DPWH, the environment and interior departments, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council.
Aside from being a clear case of poor planning, our flood woes expose a deeply flawed state strategy where urban development takes center stage without due regard to long-term effect on public safety, livelihood, and the very survival of our communities.
Ultimately, our response to these floods should go beyond relief operations and deployment of rescue teams. We need more political will to implement “dry” solutions.
