Latest news with #AksyonKlimaPilipinas
GMA Network
24-07-2025
- Climate
- GMA Network
DPWH: Engineering interventions only part of solution vs. floods
Engineering interventions are only part of the solution in mitigating the floods plaguing the country every rainy season, noting there are other factors that should be considered, said Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan on Thursday. 'Ang engineering intervention is just one component of flood mitigation. Marami yung other factors that may cause yung flooding problems, hindi lang engineering intervention. Kailangan din natin pagtuunan ng pansin ang environment issues….Dito sa Metro Manila, yung pinag uusapan natin, ay kahit mayroon na tayong ginagawang mga interventions, kung ganun pa rin yung basura sa loob, hindi lang makadaloy yung tubig baha sa loob papunta sa mga pumping stations,' he said in an interview on 'Balitanghali'. (Engineering intervention is just one component of flood mitigation. There are many other factors that may cause flooding problems, not just engineering intervention. We also need to pay attention to environmental issues…. Here in Metro Manila, what we are talking about is, even though we have interventions in place, if there is still garbage in the sewage system, the floodwater inside will not be able to flow to the pumping stations.) Parts of the country, especially in Luzon, are flooded due to the heavy downpour brought by the Southwest Monsoon, or Habagat, as well as by the series of storms from Crising, Dante and Emong. Climate action group Aksyon Klima Pilipinas earlier called on lawmakers to conduct a legislative inquiry into the status and implementation of flood control projects nationwide and their effectiveness in mitigating flooding in their respective areas. Further, the DPWH chief said that floods are inevitable now. 'Hindi naman siguro mawawalan lahat ng pagbaha….Yung severe weather, may climate change po tayo ngayon, hindi naman siguro natin totally mawalan ng baha. Even yung mga mauunlad na mga bansa, ganun din yung kanilang mga problema ngayon, yung mga climate change phenomenon na sinasabi natin,' said Bonoan. (Flooding will always occur ... .With severe weather, we also have climate change now, maybe we won't completely eliminate flooding. Even developed countries, they have the same problems now, the climate change phenomena that we are talking about.) To recall, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. vetoed or removed at least P16.7 billion worth of flood control projects in various regions nationwide under the P6.326 trillion national budget for 2025. But Marcos earlier instructed concerned government agencies to ensure the safety of the people amid the floods in Metro Manila and several other provinces, and to deliver assistance to flood victims quickly. — RF, GMA Integrated News
GMA Network
23-07-2025
- Politics
- GMA Network
Amid Habagat floods, group calls for probe into flood control projects
Amid severe flooding brought on by the triple threat of Crising, the Habagat and low presure areas, Aksyon Klima Pilipinas (AKP) has called on a "legislative inquiry into the status and implementation of flood control projects throughout the country, and their effectiveness in mitigating flooding in their respective areas." "These inquiries must be conducted in good faith and require responses from all implementing actors, such as the Department of Public Works and Highways and concerned local government units, with the ultimate goal of holding them accountable for any wrongdoings and identifying how to resolve the flooding problem," AKP added. In a statement, the country's largest network of civil service organizations for climate action listed its four-point appeal, which also includes "a multi sectoral review of existing flood management master plans" to be led by the National and LocaL Disaster Risk Reduction Management Councils and a "stronger implementation of national and local laws and policies for the protection, conservation, and restoration" of natural habitats including forests, mangroves and "avoiding mining and quarrying activities in areas that can lead to worse flooding." AKP also demanded the enactment of the Climate Accountability Bill (CLIMA), "which would establish a framework to enhance corporate accountability for potential human rights violations caused by pollutive actions." While acknowledging that the climate crisis is worsening, with temperatures breaching the 1.5C limit last year, AKP said full blame cannot be put on climate change. "As a country that is visited by monsoons and experiences an average of 20 storms every year, there is no reason that communities should repeatedly see their streets submerged in floods time and again. There is no reason for families to keep worrying about their safety from such disasters that prevent them from meeting their socioeconomic needs," it said. More than 1.4M people have been affected by Crising, rains brought by Habitat, and a low pressure area, the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council said Wednesday. The death toll due to Crising, the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat, and the LPA increased from six to seven. According to the MMDA Tuesday, more than 500 flood incidents were reported in Metro Manila alone. Meanwhile, the Department of Transportation has called out the MRT Line 7 project contractors and the Skyway management over issues that allegedly contribute to the flooding in their concerned areas. — LA, GMA integrated News
