As extreme weather events increasingly disrupt both urban and rural communities across the nation, public and private sector leaders gathered at the Makati Shangri-La for the 2026 Stormwater Summit to redefine the Philippines’ national approach to flood mitigation and climate adaptation.
Organized by Archipelago Media and Approach Consultancy, the landmark summit signaled a critical shift away from traditional, reactionary disaster relief toward proactive, watershed-based planning and smart water management.
Opening the summit, Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, Presidential Adviser for Sustainable and Resilient Communities, set a decisive tone by addressing the growing scale of climate risks in the Asia-Pacific region.
“Protecting communities is not only about responding after destruction—it’s about reducing risks before it becomes a crisis, strengthening preparedness, and creating conditions for sustainable development to endure,” Secretary Frasco emphasized.
Echoing this proactive approach, Office of Civil Defense (OCD) Ambassador Jose Sixto “Dingdong” Dantes highlighted the importance of shifting flood mitigation from a purely government-led infrastructure issue to a shared civic responsibility.
As the ambassador for the OCD’s Panatag Pilipinas campaign, Dantes urged Filipinos to reject the normalization of urban flooding and build a culture of everyday vigilance. “Compassion is really powerful, but it becomes transformational when people organize around a shared purpose,” Dantes stated. “Preparedness is not living in fear, but living in confidence.”
Addressing the national strategy, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Charles Calima presented his keynote, “Innovating Against the Flood.” USEC Calima outlined national initiatives such as the Oplan Kontra Baha program, emphasizing President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr.’s mandate to eliminate substandard projects and focus on high-impact interventions for vulnerable communities.
“Water knows no boundaries; it follows the river basin,” USEC Calima noted. “This is not a problem of one agency alone. The intervention is not just another structure—the intervention is coordination.”
The summit also showcased international best practices, drawing insights from Singapore’s successful integrated water management models:
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Integrated Water Strategy: Mr. Ryan Yuen, Managing Director of PUB Consultants Pte. Ltd. (Singapore’s National Water Agency), shared strategies on dual-purpose water reuse, inland flood resilience, and strict separation of drainage and wastewater systems.
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Adopting Earth Control Measures (ECM): Ms. April Yang, CEO of Singapore-based Flexi Systems and FloodX, showcased erosion control technologies and flood defense solutions—such as Dam Easy adjustable barriers and advanced siltation treatment—distributed locally through Scottsdale Corporation. Ms. Yang urged Philippine stakeholders to adopt proactive ECM standards to prevent construction silt from clogging natural waterways.
Closing the event, Archipelago Media Editor-in-Chief Andrew Masigan reflected on the central challenge facing the nation: “For a country that receives so much rain, we suffer because we have too much water, then we suffer again because we don’t have enough. Clearly, something must change, and today’s discussions lead us in the right direction.”
