One of the most prominent issues Metro Manila has faced and is currently facing is

flooding. Flooding is an overflow of water that reaches the land and damages nearby areas,
infrastructures, and natural landforms. Since Manila is an urban area, the most common cause
of floods is the lack of a drainage system resulting in urban flooding. The area of Manila is
usually covered in concrete and lacks open soil. The lack of open soil in the area is usually
another reason why the area is flooded since there is no soil to absorb the water brought by
heavy rainfall and the like.

The Philippines generally and Metro Manila specifically is a city prone to flooding by its
very nature and locality (Warren, 2000). Every town and place in the Philippines experiences
flooding due to natural causes or manmade causes such as drainage system problems or heavy
rainfalls. Since the location of the Philippines is located within the ring of fire, therefore it is
prone to typhoons, and the average typhoon that hits the country is 20 every year (Jan, 2022).
Moreover, heavy rains can result to dense flooding in some area of the Philippines especially in
the Metro Manila. Therefore, this can cause interruption of business, classes, transportation,
and offices (Warren, 2000). The most affected areas are low-lying regions in Manila, such as
Espino, Taft, Malabo, and Valenzuela. According to Fano, the lack and neglect of friendly flood
control measures and political interests in environmental conservation are some of the factors
involved in the flooding in Manila, alongside damaged watersheds, slum dwellers living in
natural waterways, and disregard for the city’s drainage system.

Manila was nicknamed the heart of great flooding trends even though the Pasig River
and Marikina river are located within the vicinity since the rivers and banks in the city were
polluted, thus resulting in a series of destructive flooding. Another reason why disastrous
flooding occurred in the area is due to the increase of illegal settlers living in the area. These
slum settlements are affected mainly by massive floods since they live near the area; as a result,
their houses are usually submerged in high water levels. The houses near rivers and banks are
not the only ones affected; the roads are also being washed away.