The floods that submerged many parts of Luzon due to the southwest monsoon are indeed a result of climate change, as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Monday stressed that these are not only due to anomalous flood control projects.
He made the remarks in an ambush interview in Bacolor, Pampanga where he visited residents who evacuated their flooded communities.
“Kitang-kita, syempre alam naman natin na marami sa — halimbawa sa Bulacan — na mga flood control na hindi nagawa kaya nagkakaganto,” Marcos said.
He went on: “Ngunit kailangan din natin maunawaan na hindi lang dahil sa problema ng flood control project kung hindi pati na sa lakas talaga ng ulan na hindi pa natin nakita sa kasaysayan ng Pilipinas. Ito ay naging resulta ng climate change.”
The President led a situation briefing at the Pampanga Provincial Capital about the floods that submerged Central Luzon due to thhe southwest monsoon.
He assured that the government is eyeing long-term measures and solutions to these problems.
“Halimbawa, merong mga lugar, may tubig pa. Hindi pa natin ma-assess kung ano ‘yung damage dahil may tubig pa, binabaha pa. Kailangan natin antayin ‘yan,” he said.
“Binabantayan natin ang panahon kasi kahit ‘yung mga nasira pag aayusin natin ngayon, pag bumalik na naman diyan, at masisira ulit ‘yung baging gawa, napakasayang naman nung ating gagawin,” Marcos went on.
There are also projects in the pipeline for river dams in Nueva Ecija and the construction of a 100-kilomater dike.
“Pinagaaralan ngayon natin. That’s about a 100 kilometers kaya medyo matatagalan pero pinagaaralan na naitn. At the very least, meron tayong plano at meron na tayong masisimulan,” he said.