THE Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has directed local governments (LGUs) to intensify preventive measures against floods and rain-induced landslides owing to the inclement weather that continues to threaten many parts of the country.
The DENR-Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) reported that more than 17,000 barangays have moderate to very high susceptibility to flooding and rain-induced landslides from August 17 to 19, 2026.
Moreover, the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (Pagasa) said it is currently monitoring a low-pressure area (LPA) inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility which has the potential to develop into a tropical depression. Combined with the prevailing southwest monsoon, it is expected to bring heavy rains that may inundate communities and trigger flash floods and landslides, the weather bureau said.
In an advisory, the DILG instructed LGUs to conduct pre-disaster risk assessments covering floods, flash floods, rain-induced landslides, debris flow, strong winds, and other hydro-meteorological hazards.
LGUs were also directed to carry out preemptive or mandatory evacuations in communities repeatedly affected by floods and landslides when conditions warrant, while ensuring that health facilities and evacuation centers have dependable power supplies and functioning generator systems.
Using their respective hydro-meteorological hazard maps, LGUs must identify and prioritize communities in flood- and landslide-prone areas and preposition the personnel and equipment needed to clear road obstructions and keep routes open for emergency response and relief operations.
The DILG, likewise, directed local disaster risk reduction and management personnel to closely monitor river levels in moderately vulnerable areas. In high-risk zones, LGUs must implement preemptive evacuation protocols, particularly for households near active river systems, keep waterways clear, and strictly restrict access to identified flash flood-prone areas.
In areas with low landslide susceptibility, residents should remain alert for warning signs such as sudden changes in water flow or clear water turning muddy.
In moderately susceptible areas, LGUs should consider preemptive evacuation, particularly for residents living at or near the foot of gullies and creeks.
Residents in highly susceptible areas are strongly encouraged to evacuate to safer ground. Those from communities where landslides have already occurred must not be allowed to return until authorities have assessed the area and declared it safe.
The DILG stressed that LGUs must act before conditions worsen, particularly in communities already identified as vulnerable to flooding and landslides, to protect lives and ensure that emergency response operations can be carried out without delay.