The Philippines carries the same gripes every rainy season: rising floodwaters, disappearing roads, families evacuating, and especially answers to flood control issues. Then, when the skies clear and the water recedes, the urgency seems to fade alongside it. Here’s the thing: flooding is not a seasonal problem, so neither should accountability be.
The Floods (and the Questions) Are Back
It has been a year since President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. addressed flood control in his 2025 SONA. However, other issues have overtaken it since. Think of the impeachment of Vice-President Sara Duterte or the “Senateflix” that pushed it further down the public agenda.
Now, the problem has resurfaced due to heavy, incessant rains flooding parts of Metro Manila. With this came relevant conversations about flood control projects, their implementations, and whether they are actually making communities safer.
Has Metro Manila Progressed?
Flooding also gives us a chance to examine how different LGUs respond to the same situation. In Metro Manila, some cities appear to be coping better than before.
Marikina, for example, has been receiving praise from netizens for its efforts to mitigate floodwaters across its different areas. Meanwhile, cities like Parañaque have been struggling with flooded roads and communities.
These differences matter because flood control is more than just setting a budget or an infrastructure overhaul. There’s drainage, pumping systems, waterways, waste management, land use, maintenance, and disaster preparedness to consider.
So if some cities are doing better, we should ask what they have been doing. Otherwise, we should ask why they are falling behind.
Accountability Continues
Whether we like it or not, the rainy season will always come back. Flooding may worsen with extreme weather patterns, but that makes preparation more vital than ever. The responsibility now falls on national policymakers, LGUs, and especially the national government to keep providing solutions down the line.
At the end of the day, flood control should not be something we talk about only when the worst happens. Real accountability means continuing to speak up about it.
