President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Thursday that the government flood control measures became ineffective as most Filipinos throw their trash irresponsibly.
Marcos made the remarks after his ocular inspection in the northern part of Metro Manila, where several people suffered from heavy floods caused by Typhoon Carina.
"I hope people learn not to throw trash because the trash is what clogs our flood control pumps, making them less effective," Marcos said.
Marcos said there are already several pumping stations in Navotas and Valenzuela, with 81 and 32 stations, respectively.
Despite the infrastructure, the recent combination of heavy rain and high tide at noon exacerbated the flooding situation, which the President now understands more clearly.
"We have to relook, we have to re-examine some of the designs of our flood control because, for example, the amount of water was not as bad as Ondoy," Marcos noted, referencing the devastating 2009 typhoon.
"But the effects were greater than Ondoy. The flooding was worse. More areas were flooded compared to the time of Ondoy," Marcos added.
He acknowledged the improvements in flood control infrastructure but stressed the significant impact of climate change.
In his State of the Nation Address (SONA) on Monday, 22 July, President Marcos reassured Filipinos that the government is taking measures to prepare for the severe rains caused by the La Niña phenomenon.
He noted that nearly 100 evacuation centers have been constructed over the past two years. Additionally, in January of this year, the government launched the operations of the Disaster Response Command Center, which will act as the central hub for the government's disaster response activities.
Moreover, 5,500 flood control projects have already been completed, with additional projects currently underway across the country.
In the same remarks, Marcos announced his plans to inspect other flood-affected areas across the country to assess further needs.
"I'll be going to inspect all the other areas when we can travel to see what else is needed in the other parts of the country that suffered flooding," Marcos said.
Marcos also planned to coordinate relief efforts for the most affected local government units (LGUs) in the National Capital Region (NCR), Region 3, and CALABARZON.
The President also mentioned the urgency of the situation, citing numerous calls he received early in the morning from various officials.
"Now that I know what the situation is, where the areas are that need the most, we’ll be putting together the relief packages for the LGUs," he said.
"Many have called me this morning. So, we will put that all together so that we can go to DBM (Department of Budget and Management) and tell them to release this already so that our local officials can use it," he assured.