The government, through the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD), has mobilized billions of pesos in relief resources in response to the successive weather disturbances battering the country. However, lawmakers have warned that emergency aid and temporary pumping equipment are no substitute for fully functional flood-control systems and permanent infrastructure.
Las Piñas Rep. Mark Anthony Santos raised the need to combine rapid emergency action with long-term solutions after three Mobile Flood Mitigating Pumps (MFMPs) were deployed at flood-prone Zapote Junction.
‘This is about providing a faster response when the rains come. We need to make sure that floodwaters are removed as quickly as possible so that our roads remain passable and our people can move safely,’ Santos said.
He stressed, however, that the mobile pumps should complement, rather than replace, permanent flood-control and drainage improvements.
‘These pumps can provide immediate relief, but we must continue pursuing permanent solutions. We need better drainage systems, improved waterways, regular clearing and maintenance, and well-planned flood-control projects to address the root causes of flooding,’ he said.
Santos’ call underscored a broader national concern: while the government has substantial relief supplies ready for distribution, many communities remain exposed when flood-control facilities are inadequate, poorly maintained, or unavailable during emergencies.
The DSWD has mobilized a nationwide relief network backed by P6 billion in standby funds and 4.98 million family food packs stored in more than 1,000 warehouses.
The stockpile aims to assist families impacted by the enhanced southwest monsoon and tropical cyclones Luis and Maymay. The agency is also monitoring the potential effects of Tropical Storm Peilou.
DSWD Assistant Secretary Irene Dumlao said the warehouses include facilities serving geographically isolated, disadvantaged, and hazard-prone communities.
‘Every day, we continue producing family food packs at the Luzon Disaster Resource Center and the Visayas Disaster Resource Center,’ Dumlao said.
The continuous production is intended to replenish supplies released during ongoing disaster operations and keep relief goods ready for immediate deployment.
Under the DSWD’s Buong Bansa Handa program, the agency has entered into framework agreements with large grocery stores, supermarkets, and other private-sector partners to strengthen its disaster supply chain.
Dumlao said these partnerships allow supplies to be positioned closer to communities vulnerable to natural hazards, including areas that are difficult to reach. The system is intended to reduce delays caused by damaged roads, disrupted transportation, and the distance between national warehouses and affected communities.
In Las Piñas, Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon personally visited Zapote Junction and turned over three new MFMP units to Santos and Mayor April Aguilar.
The diesel-operated, 7.5-horsepower pumps are expected to provide additional pumping capacity and remove floodwaters more quickly during intense or prolonged rainfall.
‘The deployment of these three powerful mobile flood-mitigating pumps is a welcome development for the people of Las Piñas. Zapote Junction is a vital transportation area, and when flooding becomes severe, it affects not only motorists and commuters but also businesses and families in surrounding communities,’ Santos said.
He emphasized the importance of keeping the pumps strategically positioned and ready for immediate operation whenever heavy rainfall threatens the area.
Santos thanked Dizon, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), and its personnel for responding to the flooding concerns at Zapote Junction. He also called for continued coordination between national agencies and the local government.
‘We appreciate the DPWH for taking action. We will continue working with our local government and national agencies to ensure that the people of Las Piñas receive the protection and public infrastructure they deserve,’ Santos said.
The urgency of ensuring that flood-control equipment remains operational was highlighted in Marikina, where two pumping stations reportedly failed to function as floodwaters entered streets and homes in Barangay Tumana during the southwest monsoon on August 9.
Marikina 2nd District Rep. Miro Quimbo, meanwhile, filed House Resolution No. 1342 seeking a congressional inquiry into the non-operation of the Tumana and Iwahig pumping stations.
The inquiry will determine the cause of the facilities’ non-operation and establish the possible accountability of their contractor and operator, J.D. Legaspi Construction.
‘This is precisely when flood-control infrastructure should be working-not sitting idle or unattended while our people are facing rising floodwaters,’ Quimbo said.
Barangay Tumana, the second-most populated barangay in Marikina City with 49,950 residents, has historically been among the communities most vulnerable to flooding.
The Tumana and Iwahig pumping stations were established by the DPWH-Unified Project Management Office to manage and reduce flooding in Tumana and adjacent communities, particularly during intense rainfall and rising water levels in the Marikina River.
Residents reported on August 9 that the two stations were not functioning as floodwaters entered streets and homes. An on-site inspection reportedly found the facilities non-operational and unattended, with no construction company personnel present.
Quimbo said the incident raised serious questions about the contractor’s compliance with its obligations, the adequacy of DPWH oversight, the reliability of maintenance arrangements, and the readiness of flood-control infrastructure during emergencies.
‘What happened in Tumana raises a very basic question: when our communities needed these pumping stations the most, why were they not operating?’Quimbo said.
‘Flood-control infrastructure is not just another government facility. It is there to protect lives, homes, livelihoods, and property. It cannot be left unattended or neglected precisely when the flood risk is highest,’ he added.
Quimbo said the investigation should establish what happened and identify measures to prevent similar failures of flood-control infrastructure in other communities.
‘This incident is more than just negligence; this is blatant betrayal of public trust,’ Quimbo said.
Meanwhile, the DSWD continued distributing assistance to families affected by the weather disturbances.
As of 6 a.m. On Monday, the department had distributed 54,370 family food packs, 2,722 ready-to-eat food boxes, and 1,376 non-food items to affected families and individuals.
The agency had also released P928,000 in financial assistance through its Assistance to Individuals in Crisis Situations program. Dumlao said the DSWD’s total humanitarian assistance had exceeded P39 million.
Social Welfare Secretary Rex Gatchalian directed disaster-response teams to coordinate closely with local governments and other stakeholders to ensure that assistance is delivered quickly and in sufficient quantities. The directive followed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s order to provide timely government support to disaster-affected residents.
Although the agency uses mechanized packing systems, Dumlao said manual packing remains necessary-particularly for rice-when prolonged severe weather rapidly increases demand for relief supplies.
The DSWD has opened the Luzon Disaster Resource Center in Pasay City and the Visayas Disaster Resource Center in Mandaue City to volunteers willing to help repack family food packs.
Barangays Malanday and Tumana.
To provide faster relief to communities affected by flooding, Mayor Marjorie Ann ‘Maan’ Teodoro said the Marikina City local government unit (LGU) on Monday, Aug. 10, deployed larger mobile booster flood pumps, with an estimated pumping capacity three times greater than the existing pumps, to accelerate the drainage of floodwaters in Barangays Malanday and Tumana.
‘Nag-deploy ang city government, sa pamamagitan ng Metro Manila Council, ng mas malalaking mobile booster flood pumps upang madagdagan ang pumping capacity at mapabilis ang pag-drain ng floodwater sa mga apektadong bahagi ng Barangay Malanday at Barangay Tumana,’ Mayor Maan said.
According to the mayor, the newly deployed booster pumps have an estimated pumping capacity three times greater than the existing pumps installed at the Tumana Pumping Station.
‘Ang mga bagong dineploy na booster pump ay may tinatayang tatlong beses na mas malaking pumping capacity kumpara sa mga kasalukuyang pump na nakakabit sa Tumana Pumping Station,’ she said.
Mayor Maan said the deployment aims to increase the volume of water discharged per hour and accelerate the removal of accumulated floodwater toward the drainage outfall.