President Marcos has raised the importance of updating the country's flood hazard maps and seeking new strategies to address flooding, noting that the course of floodwaters has changed over time.

Marcos said this following the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Enteng which he said flooded some areas which were originally not known to experience floods during heavy rains.

In a situation briefing on the typhoon's aftermath in Antipolo City, the President particularly cited the situation in Metro Manila during Typhoon Carina.

"What we're going to have to do here is we're going to have to really look and see what are the changes that have happened," he said.

"Like in the case of Carina in Metro Manila, there were very distinct, there were identifiable causes why they haven't had that flooding for 15 years but they now did," he added.

The President suggested the flooding may have been caused by blocked waterways due to urbanization, particularly the increasing number of housing projects.

According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the analysis of flood dynamics in Rizal revealed that "very dense" housing projects were one of the primary reasons for flooding in Rizal and its adjacent areas.

In an interview after the briefing, President Marcos said the government would need a "large-scale, long-term" plan to ensure that flood control initiatives across the country are responsive and sufficient. Until then, the government has to deal with the situation.

"What we had before in terms of flood control, in terms of controlling the flow of water which was sufficient for many, many years, it turns out now is no longer sufficient," he said.

"We have to come up with new strategies... What our strategies can be in terms of making sure that the water does not come into the low-lying areas anymore, by building the impounding projects upstream," he added.

Brace for upcoming cyclones

Meanwhile, President Marcos ordered all concerned government agencies to closely monitor two weather systems expected to develop into tropical cyclones in the coming days. He said they should track the location and speed of the low-pressure area to ensure timely government action.

"We have to learn all of those things. I’m sure you have the data, you just have to look it up," he said.

"We have to learn all of those things para malaman natin (so we will know) when it will hit, at what strength. Just to give us an idea of what we’re going to have to face," he added.

The Chief Executive said knowing the location of the potential tropical cyclones was vital in enabling local government units (LGUs) and national agencies to prepare and take appropriate action.

Marcos added that households could prepare, and the government could continue providing necessary assistance to those affected.

The Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) reported on Friday that it had released 265,104 family food packs nationwide in response to the effects of Severe Tropical Storm Enteng. It provided P11.62 million worth of assistance to affected families and made P134.40 million worth of standby funds, food, and non-food items available in Calabarzon.

Around 8,036 families or 31,677 persons were affected by Enteng in Rizal province. An estimated 5,668 individuals, or approximately 1,670 families, are currently sheltering in 49 evacuation centers in the province, according to local authorities.

Rizal’s Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO) reported at least 12 deaths, three missing persons, and five injuries due to flooding and landslides caused by the typhoon which was exacerbated by the prevailing southwest monsoon.

The storm also caused damage to the Rizal Provincial Hospital System, estimated at P533,700.