The presence of trees in the watershed above Metro Manila is not sufficient to significantly slow floodwater from reaching the capital region, Forest Management Bureau (FMB) Assistant Director Ray Thomas Kabigting said Friday. What is needed is closed canopy forest, where trees are dense enough to form a continuous overhead cover that intercepts rainfall and slows its flow downward, he said. Kabigting…
The fundamental reason Metro Manila floods is not engineering failure or government neglect alone — it is that generations of Filipinos built their homes, roads, and commercial centers directly in the valleys, river deltas, and natural drainage paths that nature designed specifically to carry water from the mountains to the sea, Forest Management Bureau (FMB) Assistant Director Ray Thomas Kabigting said Friday.…
After months of relentless flooding in Metro Manila and Luzon from the southwest monsoon, the Philippines is now facing the arrival of one of the strongest El Niño events on record, and if any typhoon forms during the El Niño period, it could reach typhoon to super typhoon strength because the weather pattern intensifies tropical cyclones that do manage to develop. PAGASA-NCR…
The fundamental reason Metro Manila floods is not engineering failure or government neglect alone — it is that generations of Filipinos built their homes, roads, and commercial centers directly in the valleys, river deltas, and natural drainage paths that nature designed specifically to carry water from the mountains to the sea, Forest Management Bureau (FMB) Assistant Director Ray Thomas Kabigting said Friday.…
With the perceived ouster of career health officials, Malacañang now stands accused of putting institutional stability and expert leadership at risk for political convenience. The uproar follows the exit of Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Singh-Vergeire and other veteran DOH officials in what appears to be a politically motivated shake-up. About 55 professional medical groups signed a joint statement expressing concerns of what…
The Laguna Lake is fast deteriorating into the country’s “biggest septic tank,” Biñan City Rep. Walfredo “Arman” Dimaguila Jr. warned on Saturday, August 2. In an interview on DZRH News’ Special on Saturday, Rep. Dimaguila urged the Marcos Jr. administration to take urgent and science-based action to rehabilitate the vital water body affecting millions across Southern Luzon and Metro Manila. “Magkakaroon na…
The Iran war is showing why the Philippines can’t afford to neglect its farmers
A war thousands of kilometers away is beginning to ripple through something as basic as the Filipino dining table. The conflict involving Iran has pushed oil prices higher, disrupted key shipping routes, and strained global supply chains—especially for fertilizer, a critical input for food production. Farmers are already feeling the pressure. Fertilizer prices have surged by as much as 30% to 40%,…