The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Tuesday said that the massive flooding that inundated parts of Metro Manila last week highlighted the urgent need to upgrade the capital’s outdated drainage system.

MMDA chairperson Atty. Romando Artes said the metropolis’ drainage masterplan — created during the administration of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr. — must be updated to address the impacts of climate change and rising sea levels.

“That was done during the time of the former President Marcos Sr., the drainage masterplan for Metro Manila so it really needs to be updated especially now that we have climate change, the higher the water tide in our oceans and the stronger the rain brought by storms,” Artes said.

He added that a proposed 50-year drainage masterplan will be funded by the World Bank.

Earlier, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. chaired a meeting to discuss preparations for the La Niña weather phenomenon and improve flood mitigation efforts.

Meantime, the Department of Public Works and Highways plans to implement more than 5,000 flood control projects nationwide in the coming years, in addition to the 5,521 projects completed since July 2022.

The agency is also working with other government agencies to integrate local drainage systems with national flood mitigation strategies.

On the other hand, the Department of the Interior and Local Government urged local officials to review and strengthen waste management ordinances and increase enforcement.