Climate advocates have sounded the alarm over what they describe as the Philippine government’s persistent failure to protect vulnerable communities from intensifying weather-related disasters.

In a statement titled “Stranded in Resilience,” released earlier this week, Aksyon Klima Pilipinas said the widespread devastation caused by Severe Tropical Storm Crising has exposed weak disaster preparedness and systemic policy failures.

“For the past two July’s, a tropical cyclone whose local name begins with the letter ‘C’ has passed by the Philippines (2024: ‘Carina’; 2025: ‘Crising’) and, enhanced by the southwest monsoon (‘habagat’), brings massive flooding to different regions across the nation,” the statement read.

“This inflicts losses of lives and other casualties and significant damages to livelihoods and properties.”

The group warned that while the climate crisis plays a major role, the repeated flooding also reflects a deeper crisis in governance, planning, and implementation of climate-resilient infrastructure.

“There is no reason that communities should repeatedly see their streets submerged in floods time and again,” the statement added. “There is no reason for families to keep worrying about their safety from such disasters that prevent them from meeting their socioeconomic needs.”

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA) has raised Tropical Cyclone Wind Signal No. 1 in parts of Ilocos, La Union, and Pangasinan as Tropical Depression Emong moves westward across northern Luzon.

As of Wednesday morning, Emong was located 115 kilometers west-northwest of Laoag City, packing winds of 45 kilometers per hour and gusts of up to 55 kph, moving at 35 kph.

Heavy rainfall of up to 200 millimeters is expected in Zambales, Bataan, and Occidental Mindoro, prompting PAGASA to issue warnings of floods and landslides in the affected areas.

Meanwhile, Metro Manila and nearby provinces—including Pampanga, Cavite, Laguna, and Rizal—are expected to receive between 100 to 200mm of rainfall until Thursday.

Climate advocates criticized the Marcos administration’s earlier claims of progress in flood mitigation, noting that communities remain exposed despite billions spent on flood control infrastructure.

During his 2024 State of the Nation Address, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. reported the completion of 5,500 flood control projects. The 2025 national budget allocates PHP304.1 billion for similar initiatives.

“So far, we are not seeing these disasters being mitigated or controlled,” the statement said. “Instead, the floods are exposing the systemic issues that have led to the current risks to which Filipinos are consistently exposed.”

The group urged the president not to rely on “empty words on disaster resilience” in his upcoming SONA, saying Filipinos deserve concrete solutions, not rhetorical platitudes.

It called for a legislative inquiry into the effectiveness of flood control projects and demanded accountability from agencies such as the Department of Public Works and Highways and local government units.

It also urged the government to strictly enforce environmental protection laws, especially those concerning forests, mangroves, and the regulation of quarrying and mining in flood-prone areas.

The advocates pushed for a multisectoral review of flood management plans and called for the immediate passage of the proposed Climate Accountability (CLIMA) Bill.

The measure would hold corporate polluters accountable for environmental harm and create a national fund to support communities affected by climate-related loss and damage.

“Climate justice is not just about demanding developed countries to pay their debt to the most vulnerable countries,” the statement said. “It also includes ensuring that our national and local leaders do not perpetuate existing inequalities that place communities at risk to the climate crisis, but rather protect the communities they are sworn to serve.”