Be The Good: Can Metro Manila, Philippine cities ever be flood-proof?

MANILA, Philippines – Typhoon Carina (Gaemi) and the enhanced southwest monsoon reminded us all yet again of how prone Metro Manila and other Luzon cities are to flooding.

Is it because Metro Manila is in a river basin? Is it because of reclamation projects? Is garbage clogging drainage systems to blame? And will it ever be possible for Metro Manila and nearby cities to become “flood-proof”?

We ask these questions and more during a Be The Good episode with experts on flood management and community responses to disasters.

Rappler head of community Pia Ranada will interview Guillermo Tabios III, professor emeritus at the University of the Philippines Institute of Civil Engineering; and Pamela Cajilig, a design anthropologist at UP Diliman’s College of Architecture.

Tabios, former director of the National Hydraulic Research Center, is recognized for his work in hydrology, hydraulics, and water resources systems engineering and is an expert in flood control systems.

Cajilig is an anthropologist who studies impacts of flooding on communities and is an expert at nature-based methods and making disaster response and resilience more participatory.

Catch the episode at 7 pm on Friday, July 26, on this page and Rappler’s YouTube and Facebook pages.

Got any questions for our guests? Send them to the Environment and Science channel in the Rappler Communities app, which you can download for free on App Store, Play Store, or access via desktop.

This interview is part of Agos, Rappler’s campaign to raise awareness on climate change, disasters, and response to calamities. What other aspects of climate change and disaster resilience should we cover? Send your suggestions to the Environment and Science chat room.

Be The Good is Rappler’s community show focused on advocacies and campaigns.

Watch other episodes:

• Be The Good: Expectations, reality check before SONA
• Be The Good: The state of transgender rights in the Philippines
• [Be The Good: Let’s Talk Liveability] Should Quiapo and Escolta be declared as heritage zones?
• [Be The Good: Let’s Talk Liveability] Commuters, cyclists watch and weigh in on Marcos’ traffic summit
• Be The Good: A special panel discussion with ‘Women on a Mission’
• [Be The Good: Let’s Talk Liveability] PAREX and reimagining Pasig River
• Be The Good: Leo Laparan II on standing up for campus press freedom
• Be The Good: Sharon Cortez on forest schools, getting kids to go outdoors
• Be The Good: Nanie Guanlao and Carmela Bunyi on spreading community reading centers
• Be The Good: Robie Siy on creating streets for people
• Be The Good: Sabrina Gacad on helping victims of gender-based violence
• Be The Good: Cielo Magno on her call to abolish confidential funds

– Rappler.com