MANILA, Philippines — As floodwaters recede across parts of Metro Manila, workers in Parañaque City are clearing a dense, foul-smelling mass of plastic, Styrofoam, timber and household debris from the Redemptorist Water Channel — a stark reminder that the destruction from days of monsoon rain does not end when the rain stops.
The flooding was intensified by Tropical Storm Dolphin, which strengthened the southwest monsoon, known locally as Habagat. The storm’s direct effects and the monsoon rains it enhanced triggered flooding and landslides across Luzon, including Metro Manila and the northern city of Baguio. Images from Parañaque showed workers using improvised floats and heavy equipment to pull waste from the channel, where debris had formed a broad floating barrier and hindered drainage.
The Human Toll Is Still Being Counted
Casualty figures remain fluid. Philippine police reported 15 deaths as of Aug. 10 from the combined effects of Tropical Cyclones Maymay and Luis and the southwest monsoon; later local reporting put the toll at 16. Earlier disaster-agency reporting had confirmed six deaths and more than 261,000 people affected, illustrating how rapidly figures changed as authorities reached damaged areas and verified reports. Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star
In Baguio, rescuers searched through a landslide that buried several homes. Dolphin later made landfall in eastern China, where officials evacuated more than 300,000 people and Shanghai canceled at least 1,300 flights, underscoring the storm system’s wider regional disruption.
A Flood-Control Problem, and a Waste Problem
The debris buildup in Parañaque is more than a cleanup challenge. Blocked waterways can slow the drainage of floodwater, worsen inundation in low-lying neighborhoods and increase public-health risks as contaminated water and rotting waste remain near homes.
The Parañaque government had already expanded weekly community cleanup and drainage-clearing operations after severe flooding in 2025, requiring barangays to clear canals, roads and manholes and properly dispose of collected waste. The present emergency highlights the limits of routine maintenance when unusually heavy rainfall washes refuse from neighborhoods, drainage systems and disposal sites into a single waterway.
Nationally, the government has also emphasized pre-emptive cleanup and flood preparation. During an earlier July storm, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said it had cleared drainage systems and placed 73 pumping stations on standby.
What the Forecasts Actually Say
The immediate outlook for Metro Manila was calmer on Aug. 13, with PAGASA forecasting light rain rather than the sustained downpours of the preceding days. But the weather agency has warned that August could still bring two to four tropical cyclones into or near the Philippine area of responsibility.
PAGASA says a moderate El Niño is underway and could strengthen later this year. However, it would be inaccurate to say El Niño automatically produces the most severe Philippine typhoon season on record. El Niño can alter rainfall and cyclone patterns: it may reduce the total number of cyclones in some areas while still leaving communities vulnerable to damaging individual storms, monsoon surges, flooding and landslides. PAGASA’s August outlook calls for generally near-normal rainfall nationally, but above-normal rainfall remains possible in parts of western Luzon.
For Manila, the central question is no longer only how quickly the water will drain. It is whether the city can keep its waterways clear enough to prevent the next storm from turning discarded waste into another barrier against escape.
Sources: AP, Philippine Daily Inquirer, Philippine Star, Presidential Communications Office, Parañaque City Government