Senator Loren Legarda on Thursday called for the urgent and strict implementation of environmental laws—particularly Republic Act 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act—as massive flooding continues to hit Metro Manila and other parts of the country due to the southwest monsoon or habagat.

“We are drowning in our own waste and garbage,” said Legarda, principal author of RA 9003.

She said clogged waterways filled with garbage have worsened the effects of monsoon rains, with floods becoming an annual disaster largely due to poor compliance with solid waste regulations and “a glaring example of how environmental neglect and lack of discipline leads to climate-related disasters.”

“Our waterways are clogged with garbage. This is a clear sign of non-compliance with our solid waste law,” Legarda said. “Flooding is not just a matter of inconvenience; it puts our families, our children, our neighbors, and our kababayans’ lives at risk.”

Aside from improper waste disposal, Legarda also cited illegally built structures on waterways and weak enforcement at the community level as major contributors to recurring floods.

“We must restore these esteros and canals before more Filipinos suffer or lose their livelihoods, and worse, their lives. Patuloy tayong nalulubog dahil din sa ating kapabayaan,” she said.

The senator warned that without addressing these root causes, no amount of flood control infrastructure will be enough to prevent disasters.

“We have to acknowledge that this is not only an infrastructure problem but a behavioral and policy enforcement crisis,” she said.

She urged the public to join barangay-level cleanup drives and reminded local governments and agencies such as the MMDA to intensify efforts in rehabilitating canals, esteros, and flood-prone neighborhoods.

“Flood management is not just a government responsibility. As citizens, we also have to do our part,” Legarda said, encouraging Filipinos to segregate waste and avoid single-use plastics. “We all must help clean and protect our communities.”

She also reminded the maritime sector not to dump garbage into seas and rivers, especially during habagat season, where strong currents carry waste to coastal communities.

“Never throw anything in the street, canal, waterway, river, or sea. Our seas, oceans, and rivers are waters that sustain life — they are not trash bins,” she said.

Legarda, also the principal author of the Climate Change Act of 2009, recently chaired a high-level meeting of the Climate Vulnerable Forum (CVF), where she called on global leaders to boost climate finance, support resilience programs, and implement nature-based solutions. She emphasized that worsening floods are part of the broader climate crisis and require immediate action on both local and international fronts.