Two days after Ferdinand Marcos Jr. boasted in his State of the Nation Address about his “accomplishments,” including 5,500 “flood control projects,” many parts of Metro Manila and Luzon were flooded. It was caused by two days of heavy rains brought by the southwest monsoon strengthened by Typhoon Carina on July 24.

Latest reports said the floods affected more than 1.3 million, displacing 211,000 from their communities. The highest number was recorded in the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao where 552,000 individuals were affected. Power service was cut in around 24 cities and municipalities. As of July 26, 14 deaths were reported, with another two injured and two missing.

Flooding was severe in the National Capital Region, where many had to be rescued from their homes and vehicles. Many residents likened the speed of the water’s rise and the extent of the damage to Typhoon Ondoy in 2009.

Initial reports estimated that 1,400 farmers and their farms were hit, and ₱9.7 million in agricultural damage. The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) also reported that the damage to irrigation systems has reached ₱6.5 million.

“Marcos’s ‘Bagong Pilipinas’ is severely flooded!” Kilusang Magbubukid ng Pilipinas (KMP) mocked. “Where did the multimillion dollar budget for water drainage and river dredging go? Where did the flood-control funds go?”

“It’s again up to us to help ourselves,” KMP said while gathering financial and material aid for the affected communities. Other democratic organizations that promptly helped the victims said the same.

“While we help each other, let us remember that the severe flooding was caused by the Marcos regime’s sale of land, mountains, waters and resources,” Anakbayan said.

“The Marcos regime must be held accountable for its criminal negligence and outright use of public funds for private and foreign interests,” he said. “One of these is in the form of environmentally destructive massive reclamation projects just like the Manila Bay Reclamation project.”

The Kalikasan PNE reported that there are at least 23 reclamation projects in Manila Bay that put the region’s residents at risk of storm surges, flooding and coastal erosion.