Amid the devastating impact of severe flooding across regions, Senator Kiko Pangilinan is proposing three legislative measures to strengthen the country’s disaster resilience and flood control system to protect lives, communities, jobs, and critical infrastructure.
Pangilinan, who lamented the adverse impact of Typhoon Crising and the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat), stressed the need for a national, science-based approach to flood management, which are key provisions in his proposed Rainwater Runoff Management and Control Act, National Land Use Act of 2025, and National Water Resources Management Act in the 20th Congress.
“In the Philippines, flooding is not seasonal. We suffer through it every year and every year, we mourn our kababayans who lost their loved ones and their livelihoods,” the veteran legislator said.
“It has become a cycle; a repetitive and persistent threat to our lives, businesses, and national development. We need to act now and that means investing in long-term and sustainable solutions,” the seasoned lawmaker added.
“There is no progress, no development, and no tomorrow to speak of if we don’t address these now.”
“We already filed at least three legislation to create a comprehensive plan to manage floods. The problems we face every typhoon season run counter to our goal of achieving national progress and human development. There is no progress, no development, and no tomorrow to speak of if we don’t address these now,” the senator added.
The National Water Resources Management Act aims to establish a Department of Water Resources to plan, coordinate, and implement “the comprehensive, sustainable, climate-resilient, and integrated development and management of the water resources of the Philippines”.
This includes the development or update of the existing River Basin Master or Comprehensive Plans to manage water supply, sewerage and sanitation, irrigation, flood control and storm water or urban drainage, drought risk management, water resource development systems, and other public water works projects.
Pangilinan also filed his proposed Rainwater Runoff Management and Control Act, which seeks to minimize rainwater runoff from any development, prevent the degradation of local water quality, and reduce rainwater runoff rates and volumes, soil erosion, and nonpoint source pollution.
Under the bill, rainwater must be used for rural and urban irrigation, groundwater recharge, firefighting, non-potable water supply source (watering plants, washing of cars and yards, flushing of toilets, and fish ponds), and ecological requirements.
His proposed National Land Use Act of 2025 pushes for the creation of a National Geo-hazard Mapping Program, among others, to outline areas in the country that are prone to severe flooding, landslides, ground rupturing, sinkhole collapse, tsunamis, river erosion, and other natural hazards.
This can be done through sustainable management and utilization of natural resources, maintenance and preservation of forests and watersheds, and promoting disaster risk reduction and climate change resiliency.
The proposals also include accountability mechanisms to ensure transparency and efficiency in the use of public funds for flood mitigation, as well as penalties for their non-implementation.
“We owe it to our children and to future generations not to pass down the problems we can address right here, right now.”
“We owe it to our children and to future generations not to pass down the problems we can address right here, right now. They deserve more than apologies and relief packs. This is a reality that we live through every day, and it is our mandate to take the necessary steps to protect our people,” Pangilinan said.
He called on his colleagues in the Senate, government agencies, local officials, and civil society organizations to support legislation that will end the devastating impact of typhoons and flooding on the people.
