This is not the change the nation has long demanded.
The flooding is not new to us. We have endured it year after year. But what is becoming increasingly difficult to accept is how each downpour seems to leave communities more devastated, more vulnerable, and more disrupted than before.
The Philippines is known to be vulnerable to typhoons and heavy rainfall because of its location along the Pacific Typhoon Belt. According to the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA), more tropical cyclones are entering the Philippine Area of Responsibility than anywhere in the world.
In 2025, the country was hit by 23 tropical cyclones, as recorded by the PAGASA as of December 19. This led to intensifying effects for 20 million Filipinos nationwide, as noted by the National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC).
Despite being a known fact, actions taken to prepare for the natural calamities seem to have little to no effect, bringing the Philippine crisis management not for the better — but for the worst.
In parts of Mexico, Pampanga, particularly in San Lorenzo and San Pablo, residents have expressed their frustration over the unusually severe flooding.
For individuals in the affected areas, this is the first time floodwaters have reached their doorsteps, threatening to reach alarming depths.
“It’s the first time ever that the flood water has reached our house,” stated Ayesha Nievera, a resident of San Pablo, emphasizing a troubling indication of how the severity and reach of flooding have changed in communities that were once less affected.
Similarly, Barangay San Agustin in the City of San Fernando, Pampanga, is currently facing sudden flooding, where nearby residents in St. Jude Village reported that floodwaters have risen to nearly chest level. Several residents were evacuated on Friday, August 28, after an overflowing creek caused widespread flooding
These are not merely statistics or unfortunate consequences of another rainy season. They are homes, livelihoods, and years of hard work reduced to debris by waters that communities should not have to face with such devastating consequences.
Our exposure to natural hazards alone does not fully explain the extent of the destruction we continue to witness. Typhoons may be inevitable, but the scale of their damage is not always beyond our control. If these disasters are predictable, then so should be our preparations for them.
This is where government accountability becomes crucial.
The problem is not simply the rain. It is also the inaction of those in positions of power — the very people entrusted to prepare communities, strengthen infrastructure, and protect the public from disasters that we already know are coming.
Yet when the consequences arrive, accountability seems to disappear with the floodwaters.
Reports from mainstream media outlets show the extent of the destruction of substandard infrastructures that were meant to protect residents from harm. In Angeles City, the slope protection of the Abacan Bypass Road has shown massive cracks and ruin, exposing the barangays of Anunas, Amsic, at Malabanias to vulnerability against massive river currents. Meanwhile, a flash flood caused a perimeter wall between Timog Residences and Rockwell to collapse, according to a traffic advisory issued by the homeowners association.
Moreover, a portion of the Aquino Bridge in Tarlac City collapsed on Friday night amid continuous rains brought by the Southwest Monsoon (Habagat) and strong river currents, GMA Regional TV One North Central Luzon reported.
Yet, instead of concrete solutions to guard the safety of Filipinos, we continue to hear explanations that shift attention away from responsibility.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on August 24 blamed the heavy rainfall for the massive flooding, stating, “We need to understand that this is not solely due to issues with the flood control project, but also the torrential rain”
Some government officials further portrayed destruction as something inevitable and beyond human control. As Dong Gonzales ironically remarked, “the collapse of the dike was attributed to an ‘act of God’” — a natural event supposedly outside human control.
Perhaps they cannot stop the rain. But should that mean we simply accept the destruction it leaves behind?
This calamity may not be entirely avoidable, but its consequences can be mitigated. Those in positions of power have the resources, authority, and responsibility to strengthen our defenses, improve disaster preparedness, and reduce the suffering caused by floods.
We cannot blame nature for following its natural cycle. Nature does not owe us an explanation for the rain. What we should question is whether those entrusted with protecting us have done enough before the waters rise.
If officials would, for once, put genuine effort into the projects they have promised to accomplish, perhaps the damage caused by these natural calamities could, in time, be significantly reduced.
The government must move beyond temporary relief and confront the deeper failures behind recurring floods. Officials must strengthen flood-control systems, ensure that public funds are used properly and effectively, and, most importantly, take responsibility for protecting the communities they were elected to serve.
After all, this is not the change we have long demanded. We, the people, should not have to endure a kind of change that weighs us down instead of lifting us toward a future that benefits everyone.
Change should mean progress, not deeper vulnerability; protection, not abandonment; and genuine service, not another reason for the people to suffer.
The views and opinion of the writer do not necessarily reflect those of the publication.
