The continuous expansion of urban areas in Metro Manila is among the factors contributing to major flooding in the region, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA). 

“Kasama na rin diyan sa reason ng pagbaha is urbanization,” MMDA General Manager Nicolas Torre III said in a news forum on Saturday. 

“Talagang, with the urban jungle continuously sprouting everywhere," he added.

(Urbanization is also included among the reasons for flooding. It is really because the urban jungle is continuously sprouting everywhere in National Capital Region.)

Torre noted that many residential areas now consist of high-rise buildings housing more people, placing additional stress on the environment, particularly infrastructure and utilities. 

"Kasama yan sa mga naging reason ng pagbaha kaya pagtitinitgnan natin yong assessment, sinisiguro namin balik kami sa tatlo palagi, extent ng pagbaha, yung taas ng tubig at tsaka yung bilis ng pag-recede niya."

(That is included among the reasons for flooding, so when we look at the assessment, we always make sure to go back to three things — the extent of the flooding, the height of the water, and the speed at which water recedes.)

MMDA, DPWH interplays

Torre emphasized that there should be an interplay between MMDA and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) in managing Metro Manila’s flood control system.

“Interplay iyan. Interplay ng whole government approach,” Torre said.

(That is an interplay. An interplay of the whole government approach.)

He added that the agencies have different areas of expertise, noting that there may be good reasons to review the allocation of responsibilities among the agencies involved.

Torre, however, revealed that Manila Third District Rep. Joel Chua has proposed reviewing the MMDA’s enabling law, particularly its mandate and role in addressing perennial flooding in Metro Manila. 

On flood control management, Torre said there should be three criteria for assessing whether flood control measures are effective and determining how they can be improved. 

The MMDA chairman stressed that historical data should be compared to assess whether government projects and engineering interventions have improved flood control, with fewer areas expected to be affected. 

Torre noted that while reports of severe flooding caused by the southwest monsoon or Habagat recently circulated widely on social media, some areas in Metro Manila were no longer affected by flooding.

“Diyan sa Marikina, andaming lubog pero kumonti na. CAMANAVA supposedly maraming lubog diyan kasi below sea level iyan pero maraming hindi na rin tinamaan diyan,” the MMDA official said. 

(In Marikina, many areas were flooded [before], but it has decreased recently. In CAMANAVA, many areas were supposedly flooded because they are below sea level, but many areas there were also no longer affected.)

The MMDA is also looking into why the river systems in the Parañaque and Las Piñas areas overflowed, with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressing prioritization of the Parañaque Spillway as a flood control intervention.

Problem on Metro waste

The MMDA chief noted that addressing the waste problem requires cooperation between the government and the public.

Torre, however, stressed that the government has a greater responsibility to establish an effective system for waste disposal, including the collection, transportation, and disposal of garbage.

“Yan ay dapat [ang] sistemang epektibo para siguraduhin na ang ating basura ay disposed properly,” he said.

(That should be an effective system to ensure that our garbage is disposed of properly.)

Meanwhile, Torre said the public, as the “manufacturers” of waste, has the responsibility not to add to the problem by complying with waste management laws and supporting the proper segregation of waste.