In the Eye of the Storm: How the Philippines has tackled Flood Prevention

Typhoon Yolanda demolished structures. Photo from Inquirer

February 10, 2025  •  KHLOE LIM

Over the years, the Philippines has become accustomed to the adversities brought by different calamities, and flooding is no exception.  Having stated this, multiple factors lead to its occurrence, with urbanization and climate change as a few of its many root causes. With that, another crucial issue  is how typhoons play a role in exacerbating ongoing problems. On average, the Philippines suffers from at least 20 typhoons per year, resulting in the destruction and displacement of multiple communities (FutureLearn, 2021). Historically, typhoons are the leading causes of yearly casualties, with a record number of 6,614 deaths in 2013 due to Typhoon Haiyan, also known as Typhoon Yolanda (Statista, 2024). As typhoons are one of the leading causes of floods, it is vital to consider it when discussing countermeasures. In light of this, numerous attempts have also been made to solve this recurring issue.

Numerous flood control projects can be traced back to the Spanish and American periods. Post-World War II and the Marcos regime were crucial eras for flood prevention projects due to the war reparation efforts. Examples of river and flood control projects include the Pampanga River Control, Agno River Control, and the Manila Flood Control Program (Rinen & Maki, n.d.). A Manila Bay reclamation project was also proposed in 1958 alongside Dewey Boulevard. Around the same time, three major dams were constructed: the Ambuklao Dam, the Agusan Dam, and the Angat Dam (Rinen & Maki, n.d.). 

The Manggahan Floodway . (Patrickroque01, 2013)

Due to the country’s turbulent political landscape at the time, numerous flood control projects blamed informal settlers along the riverbanks. In the end, many citizens perceived these projects to be futile due to their strong-handed approach towards settlers rather than flood prevention itself (Rinen & Maki, n.d.). The Manggahan Floodway was the biggest floodway project during this time, and although its construction began during this era, its completion came after Marcos’ reign. Its predecessor was supposed to be the Paranaque Spillway, however, this was never constructed nor prioritized during the time of Marcos up until the Duterte presidency (Rinen & Maki, n.d.). 

Under the Cory administration, ongoing projects that were approved by Marcos were also halted, including the completion of the Manggahan Dam. Many major flood projects that were left unfinished, such as the protective dikes of Pampanga and the rehabilitation of Ormoc City, were later resumed by succeeding presidents (Rinen & Maki, n.d.). In the end, most of them were left incomplete such as the Cagayan River Basin and the upgrading of the Magat Dam due to the lack of prioritization or funding. In 2009, the Philippines also suffered one of its biggest disasters during Cory’s term: Typhoon Ketsana, more commonly known as Typhoon Ondoy. With the country duly unprepared for the gravity of its fallout, the typhoon resulted in the devastation of over 5 million families (Asuncion et al., 2024). after Typhoon Ondoy, the government identified several disaster risk reduction priorities, including improving flood management within the capital, enhancing scientific data and research for prevention, streamlining these initiatives to other parts of the country, and allotting more budget for disaster risk financing (Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery, n.d.). Subsequently, the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) also rehabilitated the Pasig River after the typhoon (Rinen & Maki, n.d.). 

During the Duterte administration, the Build Build Build Program was established with Flood Control as one of its key projects (Mawis, 2018). Despite this, the project remains in its development phase. In the present administration of Marcos Jr., he allotted ₱7.57 billion for flood control projects. However, these efforts have yet to be seen even after Typhoon Karina last 2024(Chi, 2024). As of today, the ₱16.7 billion budget supposedly allocated to flood control projects was vetoed by Marcos last Dec. 31 (Panti, 2024). 

Overall, much is left to be done regarding the country’s flood prevention efforts. As of today, numerous factors, such as the lack of prioritization and funding, hinder the construction of proper flood control. As such, this leaves a glaring gap for the safety of many Filipinos, and even more so for marginalized communities such as the urban poor. Having established this, recognizing its urgency and acting accordingly should remain as top priorities for the government. In recent months, as the Philippines continues to suffer from typhoons, many schools, youth movements, and non-government organizations (NGOs) have distributed relief goods for those affected (Lamudi, 2024). With that, multilateral cooperation with different stakeholders– including the youth– is vital in both the mobilization of aid and the generation of possible solutions to prevent such disasters.