PERSONAL ASSESSMENT | President Marcos (in a blue cap) helps distribute relief goods on Thursday as he inspects areas in Valenzuela, Navotas, and Malabon affected by Supertyphoon Carina and the enhanced southwest monsoon. |Photo from the Presidential Communications Office
MANILA, Philippines — Days after bragging about the completion of more than 5,500 flood control projects in his third State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Thursday ordered a second look into the design of flood control measures after many parts of Metro Manila and surrounding provinces were submerged in floods at the height of Supertyphoon Carina (international name: Gaemi) and the southwest monsoon or “habagat.”
He gave the directive after inspecting the Navotas Pumping Station and the Tangos-Tanza Navigational Gate in Navotas City.
Marcos noted that low-lying areas in northern Metro Manila were prone to floods because these were below sea level and that flood control projects were supposed to ease the problem.
“They have many flood control measures and yet we have these floods. We have to relook. We have to reexamine some of the designs of our flood control measures,” he said.
READ: Metro Manila now under state of calamity due to Typhoon Carina
The president pointed out that rains dumped by Carina and the southwest monsoon were “not as bad as Ondoy, but the effect was greater than Ondoy,” referring to the deadly 2009 tropical storm that submerged most parts of Metro Manila.
“The floods this time are wider in scope. More areas ended up flooded, unlike during Ondoy. And yet we have more flood control projects now,” he said.
Marcos, who visited or passed through Valenzuela, Navotas, and Malabon cities during his inspection on Thursday morning, noted that while climate change, as well as the high tide, caused floods to rise, also to blame was the improper garbage disposal habit of many Filipinos, noting that trash clogged flood control facilities such as pumping stations. Navotas City alone has 81 pumping stations while Valenzuela City has 32.
“We have so many pumping stations yet some encountered problems in pumping floodwater. I hope people will learn this time,” Marcos said.
Congressional probe
In Congress, several senators questioned the effectiveness of the government’s flood control measures despite getting hundreds of billions of pesos under the national budget each year.
On Thursday, Senate President Francis Escudero said that the Committee on Public Works, chaired by Sen. Ramon Revilla Jr., would conduct an inquiry “to uncover the reasons behind the apparent inefficacy of the flood control projects despite the substantial funding.”
He said the inquiry aims to assess the current state of the flood control systems and develop actionable solutions.
According to Escudero, some P255 billion was allocated for the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) flood control projects in the P5.768-trillion national budget for 2024.
“With Metro Manila now under a state of calamity and the government working to address the damage wrought by Typhoon Carina, we should also work to determine why — over a decade after Typhoon Ondoy — chronic, severe flooding continues to afflict the nation’s capital,” Escudero pointed out.
“Swaths of NCR are flooded so work and classes are suspended; we deploy our frontliners who rescue and evacuate affected families; generous volunteers and groups organize donation efforts and distribute aid; after the rains end, we assess the costs of the damage and evacuees are sent home. Repeat,” he added.
Escudero emphasized that this recurring cycle was a “painful reality” that was unacceptable.
“Will it always be like this? We would just accept that every time it rains heavily, there will be flooding and our lives will be paralyzed? What happened to ‘building back better?’” Escudero asked.
P1.4B a day budget
Sen. Nancy Binay, in a separate statement, also blasted the government’s flood control efforts “despite the significant funds” allocated to the DPWH and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
“It is evident that these measures have failed to produce the necessary improvements to safeguard our communities,” she lamented. “It is deeply concerning that, in this age of advanced technology and substantial resources, our flood management systems remain painfully inadequate.”
Binay noted that there was a growing demand to reevaluate current policies and programs of the government agencies concerned.
“The people deserve accountability,” she said.
Sen. Imee Marcos said she was upset by the massive flooding on Wednesday, saying Congress did not fall short in allocating funds for flood control projects.
“In fact, at P450 billion, there is almost a P1.4-billion-a-day budget for flood control projects if you add up all the agencies from the DPWH down. Where did the money go?” Marcos told reporters.
Sen. JV Ejercito also shared the same sentiment as he pushed for a comprehensive master plan for infrastructure development that would include high-impact flood mitigation and control projects.
Sen. Sherwin Gatchalian also noted that flood control projects should be redesigned to consider rapid urbanization and the high population density of Metro Manila.
Lessons from the past
The House of Representatives will also look into the failure of the flood control system in the capital region.
Also on Thursday, Manila Rep. Rolando Valeriano, chair of the House Committee on Metro Manila Development, said he had scheduled a hearing for July 31 to tackle why the flood control infrastructure failed and explore measures to prevent its recurrence.
He pointed out that he initially would require the agencies, particularly the DPWH and MMDA, to explain why the flood control systems failed to handle the rainfall brought by Carina and the habagat.
“Rainfall brought by Carina might be record-breaking but we should already be prepared for this,” he stressed, adding that the agencies should use supertyphoons as a benchmark in setting up disaster risk reduction and management measures.
In separate statements, ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro and Gabriela Rep. Arlene Brosas also vowed to scrutinize the DPWH, which handles the bulk of the country’s existing flood management projects, in the upcoming budget deliberations for the 2025 national budget.
Pasay absolves reclamations
Also on Thursday, Pasay City officials said the “primary cause” of flooding in its part of Metro Manila was the clogged drainage systems and not land reclamation, contrary to the contention of some lawmakers and environmental groups.
In a statement, the city government said that based on its “thorough investigation and assessment,” some areas went underwater because of the “truckloads of garbage, as well as fallen branches and leaves” that blocked the sewers.
“It is important to clarify that the flooding was not a result of the ongoing Pasay coastal development project,” the statement said, adding:
“(The project) underwent a transparent and meticulous approval process to ensure compliance with government regulations, taking into consideration its environmental impact to ensure responsible reclamation.”
The local government also explained that the floodwaters in Pasay were directed towards outfalls in the Manila Bay area, where they are “properly managed.”