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ZAMBOANGA, Philippines – As floods triggered by the southwest monsoon, aggravated by the trough of Tropical Storm Crising (international name: Wipha), battered parts of Zamboanga City, officials are warning of graver dangers ahead, citing alarming projections of more mass displacement and rising vulnerability among flood-prone communities.
From July 17 to 19, at least 1,315 people or 360 families were adversely affected by rain and flooding, according to the City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (CDRRMO).
Evacuation centers sheltered 539 people from 186 families, while 16 barangays were hit by the southwest monsoon and 27 more by floods, said CDRRMO head Elmeir Jade Apolinario.
GROUNDED. A vessel rests stranded onshore in Zamboanga City, waiting for the tide to pull it back into deeper waters. Frencie Carreon/RapplerDisruptions included storm surges and fallen trees. Five boats, including a passenger-cargo vessel under Sing Shipping Lines, were swept ashore.
Crising has exited the Philippine area of responsibility but continued to enhance the southwest monsoon.
Officials cautioned that the worst may still come. As monsoon rain continues, Zamboanga’s planners and residents alike face mounting pressure to address long-standing issues: inadequate drainage, uncontrolled urban expansion, and environmental degradation. Without urgent reforms, forecasts suggest that Zamboanga could see an even wider crisis anytime soon.
The 2022-2025 Zamboanga City Contingency Plan for Flooding projects that over 22,000 residents could be displaced in worst-case scenarios. Based on simulations factoring rainfall intensity, catchment levels, and barangay vulnerabilities, the plan outlines evacuation scenarios for 14 barangays, including Tumaga, San Roque, Tugbungan, and Santa Maria.
Dr. Apolinario said barangays Tugbungan, Putik, Curuan, Guiwan, Ayala, Baliwasan, San Jose Gusu, and Santa Maria were among those with the most affected residents in recent floods.
Since the start of the year, 94,279 people have been adversely affected by flooding in the city, forcing 2,698 into evacuation centers. The vast majority, or about 91,322 people, remained outside these shelters, raising concerns about the adequacy of emergency response infrastructure.
Tumaga is projected to have the highest number of displaced people in a worst-case flood, with some 3,316 people or 663 families at risk. San Roque and Tugbungan follow with over 2,000 projected evacuees each. These areas lie near rivers, canals, or low-lying zones prone to overflowing.
“There are too many reasons why we flood easily. One is, our drainage system was not designed to handle a huge volume of rain,” said Engineer Rommel Labayog, head of the local office of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).
“Urban planning is poor. We forgot to anticipate the enormous development that we have. All natural drain is no longer there, which includes green spaces,” Labayog added.
Zamboanga officials said the urban poor are the most vulnerable. Many homes in the identified barangays are built from light materials, lack formal drainage systems, and are located along riverbanks or shorelines, conditions that make evacuation difficult and damages severe.
Even smaller barangays in the city center such as Zone I, II, and III face displacement risks, with up to 200 residents per barangay at risk of displacement. While their numbers are lower, their location in business districts could lead to broader economic disruption.
Anna Acudo, a teacher at the Zamboanga City National High School, blamed poor urban planning and development.
“Mountains have been destroyed for the diversion roads and yet there is no concrete developmental plan for the city. Drainage or canals are heavily loaded with garbage,” she said. “Zamboanga is already congested with illegal settlers particularly along the river banks and shorelines, thus water sewage in the different parts are blocked due to the improper disposal of the garbage.”
The city’s contingency plan flags the limited capacity of evacuation centers and logistical shortcomings, such as shelter availability, health safety, and crowd management. Officials warned that without proactive measures, such as early warnings, pre-positioned aid, and community drills, the city could see a humanitarian emergency during more powerful storms.
“The numbers from the contingency plan are not just statistics. These are real people, real families that we must protect,” said Apolinario.
He said the city government would need to increase budget allocations for flood mitigation and public education programs.
Local officials have also sought help from civil society groups, churches, and other private organizations to bolster grassroots disaster response. – Rappler.com
