Flood, waste, and a two-way street
Another habagat, another case of flooding throughout Metro Manila. But with the issue of flood control still fresh in everybody’s minds, the fact that the clouds unleashed rain almost comparable to Ondoy in a matter of a few hours wasn’t the biggest headline.
We know it could’ve been avoided. After all, we had billions, supposedly, to fix the problem. And 17 years of experience to look back on.
Still, like in all things, even in flood control, there’s another side to the coin. Cleanup operations following the deluge revealed piles of trash blocking our drains and waterways. According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources–National Capital Region (DENR-NCR), they’ve already collected 1,255 sacks of garbage across Metro Manila as of Aug. 18.
Meanwhile, as early as Aug. 11, a joint operation between Parañaque City and several government agencies resulted in the collection of over 200 trucks’ worth of trash at the Baclaran Redemptorist water channel.
Cry flood control all we want but having trash impair our already defunct drainage systems is certainly not helping the cause.
Institutional shortcomings passed as individual flaws
These days, normal flooding is easily and rightfully blamed on faulty flood control projects. But show waterways and pumping stations littered with piles of trash, and the blame game becomes a little more complicated. Suddenly, it’s not just about corruption and institutional complacency, it’s also attitude and normalized behavior.
Going back to the aftermath of Super Typhoon Carina in 2024, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. lamented the amount of trash that offset the supposedly positive impact of flood control systems. “Sana matuto naman ang tao. Huwag kayong nagtatapon ng basura dahil ‘yong basura, ‘yon ang nagbara doon sa mga pump natin kaya hindi kasing effective na pwede,” said the president in an interview in Malabon in 2024.
“Mas marami tayong flood control ngayon kaysa noon pero climate change. This is what the effects of climate change are,” he added.
Mind you, that was all the way back in 2024. Now we know that isn’t the case.
But the trash still has to come from somewhere
In a TikTok posted by journalist Mark Salazar, a cleanup drive in G. Araneta Avenue, Quezon City revealed piles of trash blocking a waterway—suitcases, sacks, and trash of all kinds—clogging up the creek and reducing its absorption capacity. Not to mention, certain metal parts are missing and reported to have been stolen by locals.
The billions of misappropriated funds is glaring. But surely this amount of trash—not just isolated to one city—is akin to shooting oneself in the foot then blaming the other for the wound.
In a column, Joe Zaldarriaga, vice president and head of corporate communications of Manila Electric Company (Meralco) writes: “Countries frequently cited for effective flood management, such as Singapore and Japan, did not achieve success through engineering alone. Their systems work because infrastructure is supported by long-term planning, strict enforcement, regular maintenance, and public cooperation. Citizens understand that environmental responsibility is not optional. It is part of everyday life.”
“Flooding is not merely a weather problem. It is a governance problem, and, in many ways, a behavioral problem that we can address collectively,” he adds.
We’re quick to take a look at our shortcomings and immediately compare it with the successes of another—all without acknowledging the conditions necessary for it. But if we take a second look, the lesson is as clear as day: It takes two to tango. The institution and the citizen have to meet in the middle for things to work out.
And if we do our part and the status quo still hasn’t changed, then we’d know our anger was justified.
