A DAVAO City-based environmental group is calling on the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), local government units (LGUs), and legislators to provide full disclosure on flood control projects nationwide and to prioritize Nature-based Solutions (NbS) against flooding.
In a statement, Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (Idis) expressed concern over the worsening flooding problem in Davao City. The group emphasized the need for DPWH, LGUs, and legislators to disclose the status and effectiveness of funded flood control projects in the city. They encouraged LGUs to go beyond "grey" infrastructure solutions, which they argue merely displace flooding rather than solve it.
Idis urged LGUs to prioritize NbS, which offer long-term solutions to flooding. These include watershed protection, the construction of retention and detention ponds, mangrove rehabilitation, and the restoration of wetlands and estuarine marshes.
"The worsening floods in Davao City are not an isolated event – they are a warning signal of what is happening and will continue to happen nationwide if business-as-usual approaches persist," Idis said on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.
The group noted that recent flooding had submerged key urban areas and exposed the vulnerability of cities and the inadequacy of existing flood control measures, which are supposedly designed to protect lives, livelihoods, and infrastructure.
According to their research, flooding in Davao City follows a clear pattern that has national relevance. Idis pointed out that many flood-prone areas were once wetlands, tidal marshes, swamps, and natural catch basins. However, rapid urban development has reclaimed, converted, and altered these ecosystems, leading to a 95 percent loss of wetlands in the city since 1945.
"With rising sea levels and more intense rainfall due to climate change, waterways can no longer properly drain during high tides, causing floodwater to spill into streets, homes, and establishments," Idis said.
The group stressed that Davao City's flooding reflects a broader national problem. Despite the massive allocation of local, regional, and congressional funds for flood control, flooding continues to worsen across cities and provinces. IDIS raised concerns about the effectiveness, transparency, and accountability of these projects.
The group further argued that flooding is no longer just a local inconvenience — it is now a "national climate emergency" that demands decisive, coordinated, and science-based action from the government. They emphasized that only through transparent governance and sustainable, nature-based strategies can communities be protected from the escalating threats of climate change.
Earlier, Mayors for Good Governance (M4GG) demanded full transparency, accountability, and justice regarding flood control projects. As of 4 p.m. on August 22, 2025, a total of 60 mayors, two founding M4GG convenors, two vice mayors, one congressman, and one vice governor had signed the joint statement.
To recall, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr., in his fourth State of the Nation Address (Sona) on July 28, 2025, ordered an investigation into the P350 billion worth of flood control projects across the country.
Marcos personally inspected several multi-million-peso flood control projects in various parts of the country, including in Bulacan province. He stated that he was “very angry” and would determine whether the officials and contractors involved would be charged with non-bailable crimes for economic sabotage. RGP