Green groups: Ditch flood control projects for nature-based solutions

Composite image: Mangroves in Taliptip, Bulakan and mangrove forest in Prieto Diaz, Sorsogon. Photos by Oceana, Christian Montilijao.

MANILA, Philippines—More than 20 environmental and civil society organizations are calling on President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and Congress to abandon “concrete-centric, corruption-riddled, and environmentally blind” flood control projects in favor of nature-based solutions that are proven, cheaper, and more resilient.

In a joint statement sent to the President and Congressional leaders on Wednesday, the groups said they were united “in collective outrage and profound disgust over the systemic corruption plaguing the nation’s flood control infrastructure program.”

READ: Crising floods expose gov’t failures — scientist group

“The era of pouring billions into concrete-centric, corruption-riddled, and environmentally blind infrastructure must end,” the statement read.

“We do not simply call for the immediate prosecution and arrest of those responsible, though that is paramount—we demand a fundamental and transformative shift in the nation’s approach to disaster risk reduction including flood control,” it added.

Invest in nature, not kickbacks

The coalition urged Congress to restore public confidence by reallocating scrapped or realigned flood control funds toward long-overdue government obligations that remain severely underfunded.

These include expansive reforestation and watershed management efforts; restoring mangrove and beach forests, as well as wetlands, to serve as natural shields against storm surges and erosion; rehabilitating rivers and creeks through ecological methods to regulate water flow, improve water quality, and create green public spaces; and enforcing Republic Act 11195 or the Philippine Ecosystem and Natural Capital Accounting System (PENCAS), which integrates the economic value of the country’s natural resources into national development and policy decisions.

The coalition also called on lawmakers to urgently enact key environmental legislation aimed at addressing flooding risks—particularly the National Coastal Greenbelt Bill, which seeks to safeguard mangrove forests, and a nationwide ban on single-use and disposable plastics that often block drainage systems and waterways.

READ: Coastal Greenbelt Bill pushed after P255B flood control funds scrapped

The groups also urged national leaders to look to successful examples at the local level, citing how communities in Batanes, Busuanga (Palawan), Camarines Sur, Dumaguete, and Negros Island have adopted cost-efficient nature-based solutions that restore ecosystems while addressing local needs.

“These solutions are less prone to corruption and abuse, they also create green jobs, while enhancing biodiversity and protecting nature,” said Von Hernandez, Vice President of Oceana Philippines. “Nature does not expect or ask for kickbacks – but it will push back if you destroy and abuse it.”

Call to halt destructive reclamation projects

Fisherfolk leaders joined the growing call to end environmentally destructive projects, particularly reclamation activities that have worsened flooding in coastal communities. Pablo Rosales, president of PANGISDA Pilipinas, said these projects have damaged natural coastal defenses and disrupted water pathways.

“Sinira at tinambakan ng reklamasyon ang mga baybayin at karagatang panangga namin sa daluyong sa panahon ng bagyo,” Rosales said, stressing how these interventions have blocked natural water flows and left many low-lying towns submerged during storms.

(Reclamation has destroyed and filled in our coastlines and seas that served as barriers against storm surges during typhoons.)

He warned that many of these ventures benefit only business interests while placing vulnerable communities in even greater danger.

“Kailangang itigil na ang mga proyektong ito na nagtataguyod ng mas malaking kita para lamang sa mga negosyante habang iniiwang naghihirap at nasa panganib ang mga mamamayan,” he added.

(These projects must be stopped. They only serve to enrich a few businessmen while leaving ordinary citizens poor and in harm’s way.)

READ: Senators, green groups blame Manila Bay reclamation for floods

The coalition emphasized that this is no longer just a question of infrastructure, but a defining choice for government leaders—one that will test their integrity, foresight, and true commitment to a resilient future.

“We can continue to line the pockets of the corrupt with expensive, failing concrete or we can invest in proven natural systems that have protected us for centuries,” the groups said.

Aside from Oceana and PANGISDA Pilipinas, the signatories include:

• Alyansa Tigil Mina
• BAN Toxics
• Center for Conservation and Innovations
• Coastal Conservation and Education Foundation, Inc.
• EcoWaste Coalition
• Environmental Legal Assistance Center (ELAC)
• Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives (GAIA Philippines)
• Greenpeace Philippines
• Health Care Without Harm – Southeast Asia
• Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS)
• Kalasag (Kabitenyong Alyansa Laban sa Seabed Quarrying)
• Mother Earth Foundation
• Resources, Environment and Economics Center for Studies (REECS), Inc.
• Solidarity of Oppressed Filipino People, Inc. (DAMPA-SOFP)
• Wetlands International
• World Wide Fund for Nature – Philippines
• Zoological Society of London/tsb