‘WALANG TIGIL ANG ULAN’: FLOODING IN METRO MANILA: Exploring Gaps in Existing Policies and the Socio-Economic Consequences therein

Romel Cuneta
Romualdo Go II
Gerold Tabigne
Shara Mae Maling
Daryll Joy Malunes

House of Representatives
Emerging Leaders Track
Course on Research Tools and Techniques for Policy Development
2025

This Legislative Research Plan aims to look into the flooding situation in the Philippines, particularly in the Metro Manila area. The Philippines has a history of being hit by extreme typhoons such as Ondoy in 2009, Yolanda in 2013, Odette in 2021, among others, causing crippling effects such as ₱179.6 billion in damages and 7,179 fatalities (in 2025). One major effect of these typhoons is flooding, in which the government, through various agencies (NDRRMC, DENR, MMDA, DPWH), came up with various initiatives to address the devastating effects of flooding by improving and adding new structural interventions such as modernizing pumping stations, dredging and desilting, floodway reservoirs, dams, improvement of river channels, among others. However, given all of these big projects being implemented that cost billions of pesos and years to complete and implement, why is it that Metro Manila continues to face extreme flooding? This research paper aims to examine the existing policies and projects implemented by the national government and the local government units to alleviate flooding in Metro Manila and to determine the gaps and the possible solutions. Determining the policy gaps will allow the researchers to provide recommendations on how the government can further improve its policies and programs to begin more concerted efforts in preventing further devastating effects of flooding.