‘The ayuda is appreciated, but what we truly need is a Metro Manila that no longer drowns in its preventable despair, as correctly pointed out by Rev. Fr. Efren Suralta, CM. It’s time for solutions to this generational headache.’
ANOTHER rainy season, another cascade of familiar headlines: Metro Manila submerged, commuters stranded, families displaced, and the economy grinding to a halt.
From Quezon City to Parañaque, Malabon to Muntinlupa, and Marikina to Manila — the deluge is depressingly familiar.
So too are the images: cars bobbing in brown water, children wading to school, barangay halls turned into evacuation centers.
And then come the statements from our government officials: “It’s the garbage,” “It’s climate change,” “We’re doing our best.”
For millions of long-suffering residents, however, these pronouncements ring hollow.
This isn’t a new phenomenon — it’s a generational nightmare.
I remember trudging through knee-deep floods along Roces Ave. in the late 1970s, making my way from Victoria School Foundation to Project 6. The same disheartening scene played out again in front of UST during my college years in the late ‘80s, on commutes from Manuel Luis Quezon University to Project 6.
These weren’t isolated incidents then, and they certainly aren’t now.
That the same areas remain flood-prone five decades later is not just disheartening — it’s a damning indictment of systemic failure.
The bleak reality is that we continue to face the identical problem year after year, with no apparent progress since the 1970s.
The contrast couldn’t be starker after President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 4th State of the Nation Address (SONA), delivered amid tight security and rising floodwaters.
President Marcos Jr. spoke of ongoing social and economic programs, aid for those in need, and a government working “very hard” to uplift lives.
But for residents of Metro Manila — many of whom were wading through waist-deep water as the speech aired — the disconnect was palpable.
The “ayuda” that President Marcos Jr. emphasized is welcome.
But when it becomes the centerpiece of flood response year after year, it begins to feel like a ritual of resignation. It addresses symptoms, not the chronic illness.
What’s missing is a bold, transparent commitment to structural reform — one that goes beyond food packs and tarpaulins, and truly tackles the deep roots of our urban vulnerability.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), led by Secretary Manuel Bonoan, shoulders much of the burden.
A multi-billion-peso Metro Manila Flood Management Master Plan (MMFMP) was approved over a decade ago. While funding has been allocated, implementation remains glacial, with less than 30% complete.
Secretary Bonoan has conceded that the capital’s drainage systems, many of which are over five decades old, are insufficient for today’s rainfall and cannot cope with the unchecked proliferation of condominiums in flood-prone areas
Then there’s the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) under Chairman Romando Artes, whose office is tasked with maintaining pumping stations and coordinating flood control.
Chairman Artes’s knee-jerk reaction? Blame the garbage. And sure, civic discipline matters — but when sofas float down esteros and no one’s penalized, the failure is institutional.
Garbage, according to Chairman Artes, is the perennial culprit. But when enforcement is sporadic and dumping persists in broad daylight, public discipline is only half the story.
But when waterways are clogged with refrigerators and sofas, and visible large-scale dumping persists in broad daylight with little to no consequence, it’s clear that enforcement — not just education — is failing. Fines are rarely collected, and convictions are even rarer.
The 16 cities and one municipality in Metro Manila must also own their share of the flooding problem in the National Capital Region.
It’s critical to acknowledge that not all LGUs are equally passive.
Marikina City, for instance, from Mayor Gil Fernando to Mayor Maan Teodoro, has a long-standing history of proactive flood control.
Marikina initiated mitigation programs as early as the 1950s, followed by significant improvements in the 1970s, and culminating in the completion of the Mangahan Floodway in 1988.
Since 2002, the Pasig-Marikina River Channel Improvement Project (PMRCIP) has steadily advanced, with major dike and channel upgrades now underway in Barangays Tañong, Jesus Dela Peña, and Tumana. It’s a testament to Marikina’s decades-long commitment to flood mitigation — a sharp contrast to cities like Caloocan and Malabon, where even the most basic flood mapping and drainage upgrades remain elusive. Sadly, many other LGUs aren’t far behind. I won’t name every mayor in Metro Manila — you already did that when you cast your vote or gave them another term.
Whether it’s the persistent flooding in parts of Manila’s university belt or the waterlogged streets of Caloocan after a moderate downpour, the conversion of wetlands into concrete jungles, the encroachment on esteros, and the lax enforcement of environmental laws have created a sprawling flood plain.
While LGUs, through their Local Chief Executives, often demand national intervention, each Metro Manila Mayor must also be held accountable for the mess in their own backyards, particularly their failure to prevent informal settlements in danger zones and ensure proper waste management at the barangay level.
And finally, the climate change card. Yes, extreme weather is real. But it’s not the root cause — it’s an amplifier.
Metro Manila wouldn’t collapse with every downpour if the infrastructure were built to withstand it. The real culprit? Decades of inertia in all honesty! A staggering lack of political will to prioritize long-term resilience over short-term fixes.
After President Marcos delivered his SONA, what we need now is a unified, transparent, and politically sustained commitment to long-term flood mitigation. That means:
* Accelerating and consolidating the MMFMP with clear deadlines, transparent budget utilization, and public accountability.
* Upgrading aging drainage systems and building climate-resilient infrastructure that can truly handle increased rainfall volumes.
* Strictly enforcing land-use laws and cracking down on illegal dumping and waterway encroachment with consistent penalties.
* Fostering genuine inter-agency and inter-LGU collaboration — not turf wars, but integrated strategies that recognize the interconnectedness of our waterways.
This includes scaling up the proven and sustained efforts of proactive LGUs like Marikina, efforts that Mayor Maan Teodoro and Vice Mayor Del De Guzman continue to champion and advocate for across the metropolis.
Filipinos aren’t asking for miracles. We’re asking for competence. For leadership. For a future where old España Blvd., from P. Noval to Vicente Cruz, passing through the main gate of the oldest pontifical university in Asia, isn’t a cautionary tale, but a turning point.
The ayuda is appreciated, but what we truly need is a Metro Manila that no longer drowns in its preventable despair, as correctly pointed out by Rev. Fr. Efren Suralta, CM. It’s time for solutions to this generational headache. Not more excuses, indeed.
