Climate vulnerability in the Philippines, especially among underserved and marginalized communities, is an all-too-familiar reality.

To address the significant brunt of climate change, various sectors have carried out a wide range of disaster risk reduction measures. Such efforts include community-led preparedness programs, early warning systems, infrastructure upgrades, policy reforms, and other solutions designed to enhance resilience and withstand extreme weather conditions.

But ‘resilience’ is not enough, as climate experts and scientists would persistently point out the need to resolve current and future impacts of climate change—whether to accommodate these changes or to retreat from vulnerable areas altogether.

Climate toll in 2024

The year 2024 in the Philippines proved to be one of the most challenging times due to the severe impacts of climate change. The World Weather Attribution (WWA) service reported that warm seas and high humidity brought about by climate change have exacerbated the conditions that enabled powerful storms to form in the Philippine Sea.

Typhoon Kristine brought floodwaters rising up to waist-deep or even reaching the height of the kitchen sink.

Between late October and November, or within just 30 days, six typhoons battered the country and several were simultaneous. Three of these were further classified as “major typhoons”.

In July 2024, typhoon Carina (internationally known as Gaemi) brought intense rainfall across the country, particularly in the Luzon area. Carina further enhanced the Habagat, or southwest monsoon, and brought moderate to heavy rains in most vulnerable communities.

The Department of Agriculture reported an estimated cost of damage to agriculture and infrastructure due to Carina amounting to P4.72 billion.

It was also when President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. delivered his third State of the Nation Address that Carina intensified from a tropical depression to a typhoon. During his speech, Marcos Jr. highlighted the completion of over 5,500 flood control projects while affirming his administration’s commitment to mitigating flood risks.

However, such reports and assurances drew flak from many, and Marcos Jr. was called out for delivering nothing but boastful lip service.

Advocates and critics slammed the effectiveness of reported flood control projects based on the reality on the ground. All while Marcos Jr. then claimed that the existing flood control measures, similar to resilience, were “not enough.”

From farmland to flood zones

Only about half of the bus is visible due to the rising floodwaters along G. Araneta Ave. in Quezon City.

In Quezon City, despite its relatively higher elevation than Manila and other Metro Manila cities, flooding remains alarmingly frequent and highly destructive.

The city is within the catchment area of five river systems: San Juan, Tullahan, Marikina, Pasig, and Meycauayan. These river systems receive tremendous volumes of water during heavy rainfall and have the potential to flood low-lying areas, particularly the barangays Dona Imelda, Damayang Lagi, Talayan, Roxas, and Kalusugan along the San Juan River. These areas are prone to overflow flooding due to river backflows from the junction with the Pasig River.

51-year-old Veronica Sumayod, a resident of Kapiligan St. in Brgy. Doña Imelda said the floodwaters during Carina reached almost nine to 10 feet from their newly elevated home.

She recalled how the floodwaters almost reached the last step of their stairs. For them, this kind of situation was nothing new.

Veronica Sumayod shares their firsthand experiences amid typhoons and climate tragedies.

Her family had been living in their home in Brgy. Doña Imelda since 1957. Back then, their house was just a makeshift hut. It even served as an evacuation for their neighbors during the previous typhoons and calamities. It was only in 2020 that the posts of their home were renovated and made concrete.

Veronica also shared that farming was their family’s primary livelihood in the community. In 2022, their farmland was demolished due to the construction of sheet piles to rehabilitate the San Juan River.

“Before the government took the place to build sheet piles, it was once our farmland. It was vast. In fact, we were known here for making a living out of it,” Veronica said.

Veronica shared photos of the crops they harvested from their farmland.

Their farmland was located near the riverbank. According to Veronica, many people lived by the river before being relocated as early as 2014. She said over 278 families had been relocated to various parts of Bulacan, while others were moved to a tenement in Brgy. Holy Spirit, Quezon City. Veronica was among those living by the river relocated to Pandi, Bulacan.

But unlike other settlers, Veronica’s family owned the land where their house stood. Their land portion was given to them by its Chinese owner because her mother had been the caretaker of the land since the 1950s.

Veronica also recounted that in 2022, a barangay meeting was called to discuss the construction of the sheet piles, which would affect their farmland.

“We sell our harvested crops at the market since we were young. And now it’s gone. While we were given compensation of P20,000, that wasn’t really enough,” Veronica said.

During the meeting, it was reiterated that settlers in the areas covered by the sheet pile construction needed to be evicted. But Veronica’s family was only advised to improve and strengthen their house given that it is a private property.

Before reaching their house, one has to pass through a narrow and cramped pathway. While it could be considered a right-of-way, residents like Veronica expressed concerns about its safety.

In an interview with the local barangay, barangay Kagawad Annabelle Morales Martin affirmed that the installed sheet piles were part of the San Juan River Rehabilitation project initiated by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

Martin said the plans and installation of the sheet piles began as early as 2014.

“There are different phases. And they didn’t do them all at once. When Phase 1 was completed, then they’d start on Phase 2. After Phase 2, that’s when they’d move to Phase 3. That’s why it took a while. And it was also delayed. Around 2020, they seemed to speed things up,” Martin shared.

Massive investments in San Juan River rehab

In the 2022 Annual Procurement Plan data from the DPWH Quezon City, the Rehabilitation of San Juan River Phases I to V accumulated an overall budget of P256.42 million to install sheet piles. Meanwhile, in the same year, the rehabilitation and repair of flood control systems for the said project from Phases I to IV is P172.48 million.

The following year, in 2023, the budget for rehabilitation from Phases XVII to XXIII was P300 million, while the installation of sheet piles from Phases was P130 million.

In 2024, the budget for rehabilitation from Phases XLVII to XLVIX and Phase L accumulated P332 million.

This year, as part of an early procurement activity, the rehabilitation of the flood mitigation structure along San Juan River Phases LXII and LXIII will cost 150 million, while the installation of yet another sheet and bored piles from Phases I to IV will cost 164.18 million.

Since 2022, the overall rehabilitation cost for the San Juan River has ballooned to P1.5 billion.

Big capitalist industries like the Aboitiz Group and San Miguel Corporation have also partnered with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to rehab the San Juan River, claiming to help mitigate flooding in major Metro Manila cities and improve the water quality and navigability despite the San Juan River already being classified as a dead river.

Veronica complained that the pathway to their home was also damaged when the sheet piles were installed. Since then, the remaining residents have worked together to temporarily cover the path with debris and wood planks, trying to fix what they consider their right-of-way.

However, for Veronica, the makeshift repairs they made were insufficient because the ground continuously softened.

A similar incident occurred in other areas of Kapiligan St. during the height of typhoon Carina where the sheet piles collapsed completely. According to Kagawad Joner Litada, around 180 to 200 families living near the wall were affected.

Screengrabbed from a news report in the Reporters Notebook.

“It’s unbelievable, and you wouldn’t think it would fall off… The flood control project is supposed to protect the people,” said Martin.

“If they don’t fix this, this will intensify flood. It’s like a domino effect. Once one cracks, it follows one after another, and it might even reach here. Because those that hold it are interconnected. It needs proper footing beneath,” Litada added, referring to the damaged sheet piles.

In addition to installing sheet piles, the Doña Imelda pumping station is also under construction in line with the Metro Manila Flood Management Project Phase I. The construction has a total funding of P568.90 million through the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank.

The Metro Manila Flood Management Project Phase I is among the most expensive infrastructure projects in the country, funded through foreign loans alongside other major infrastructure projects in Metro Manila.

In 2017, the Philippines borrowed $415.2 million from the World Bank (WB) to fund the project. Only in September 2024, a restructured report from WB showed a reduction in project cost to $368 million.

However, barangay leaders were skeptical about the installation of a pumping station in their area, raising doubts about its effectiveness.

“Either that (pumping station) will help. But I think there is a river, right? And you’re going to put a pump nearby to suck up the water and then spit it out and send it back to the river. It will just return anyway,” said Litada.

Many residents also speculate whether the water rises first from G. Araneta Ave. or the San Juan River. In either case, the constant blame for the rising flood waters fell on the large accumulation of solid waste.

According to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the total waste accumulated in Metro Manila’s pumping stations has decreased by at least half over the past seven years.

However, the MMDA’s status report revealed that only 25% of the 17,000 cubic meters of waste set as a baseline in 2017 was retrieved. The agency has since revised its targets, focusing on reducing at least half of the total waste generated across Metro Manila.

Meanwhile, MMDA Physical Planning and Spatial Development Service director Michael Gison said that limited drainage capacity only exacerbates the issue of accumulated waste. He also emphasized the connection between waste and flooding, stating that managing flooding effectively should address the region’s waste generation problem.

Start with monitoring to tackle climate vulnerability

Climate scientist Lourdes Tibig said the real problem is the country’s lack of monitoring stations.

Speaking at a fellowship training organized by the Philippine Network for Environmental Journalists, Tibig emphasized that while estimations are being made, these are not the data needed to monitor effectively.

“That’s what local government units need. It’s not too late to set up a monitoring station. We need to start there and acknowledge that Metro Manila is different. it has always been studied. It has long been known that Metro Manila is truly below sea level and is at risk of rising waters,” said Tibig.

Tibig also cautioned against relying solely on structural solutions like flood walls without comprehensive studies.

“We may not have yet the resources, which is why it’s crucial first to assess the vulnerability. How quickly will the water level rise? Only regular monitoring can provide that answer. If vulnerability assessments and monitoring aren’t available, then community-based assessments must be done,” she added.

These remarks further echoed the findings from the Technical Report on the Water Quality Assessment of the San Juan River, which noted that the local government also lacked monitoring and control over wastewater discharges along the river.

“As a recommendation, local government(s) of San Juan River must coordinate with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in enforcing directives and policies on communities along the river. An awareness program for every barangay and industry near the river is a must. In addition, there must also be a rehabilitation and monitoring program to be conducted with the help of people living along the San Juan River,” said the report.

In 2020, the Quezon City government created a sub-committee under the QC Task Force Manila Bay, known as the “Committee on QC-San Juan River Rehabilitation Project.” Its key responsibilities include:

  • Establishing necessary hydrologic, geomorphic, chemical, biological, and ecological data to identify nature-based solutions.
  • Developing and implementing a Quezon City-San Juan River Rehabilitation Action Plan covering water quality improvement, greening, linear park development, solid waste management, and the in-city relocation of residents affected by waterways.
  • Monitoring, evaluating, and submitting quarterly reports on the progress of the rehabilitation plan, with recommendations for adjustments if needed.
  • Coordinating with local government units, national government agencies, private sector partners, the academe, and other institutions for collaborative initiatives.
Map from Project NOAH illustrating the flood hazard levels in Barangay Dona Imelda.

In 2023, the local government partnered with The UP Resilience Institute—NOAH Center to incorporate an Internet-of-Things (IoT) system for rain and flood monitoring. The system aimed to monitor real-time ground conditions and improve emergency preparedness and response for both the public sector and government.

“Traditional means of monitoring weather patterns and anticipating floods have limitations; however, IoT can revolutionize this process,” said UP Resilience Institute.

Meanwhile, Tibig further reiterated the need for LGUs to undertake meticulous vulnerability assessments before proceeding with urban planning.

“The LGUs have a responsibility to address this, and before any urban planning can take place, they need to understand the source of the problem and determine how much they can accommodate. If accommodation is not possible, then perhaps the option of retreating from those areas should be considered. Thorough vulnerability assessments are essential before proceeding with urban planning as there are limits to adaptation,” she explained.

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