DILG orders forced evacuations due to heavy monsoon rains

Hundreds of families and animals evacuated from low-lying areas in Marikina and sought shelter at the Malanday Elementary School on Tuesday, July 22, 2025 after the river’s water level rose to 18.9 meters on Monday night.
The Philippine STAR / Walter Bollozos

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MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) has directed local government units to carry out mandatory evacuations in communities hit hard by torrential rains brought by the southwest monsoon, locally known as habagat.

In a statement released on Tuesday, July 22, the DILG urged mayors, governors and barangay captains to implement forced evacuations as needed to protect residents in affected areas, with priority given to children, the elderly and persons with disabilities.

DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla also issued a memorandum instructing the Philippine National Police (PNP) and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to assist LGUs in implementing forced evacuations to evacuation centers.

LGUs were also directed to work closely with Regional Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Councils during evacuation procedures and to coordinate with the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) for the timely distribution of relief goods.

The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council has reported around 1.27 million affected individuals as of Thursday morning due to the Severe Tropical Storm Wipha (formerly Crising), habagat and low-pressure area.

Around 82,335 people were displaced by the flooding, but only one in five have reached evacuation centers, leaving roughly 65,000 still outside.

Follow protocols. The DILG advised local officials to follow Operation L!sto (listo), a checklist manual guiding local chief executives on disaster preparedness actions before, during and after emergencies.

The step-by-step guide determines appropriate protocols based on alert levels, including whether pre-emptive or mandatory evacuations are necessary.

The system uses three alert levels: Alpha for low risk, Bravo for medium risk, and Charlie for high risk. These levels are based on tropical cyclone warning signals and indicate the potential impact on communities.

However, state weather bureau PAGASA has not reported any tropical cyclones as of writing. Although there are three low-pressure areas currently under their radar, one of which is still outside the Philippine area of responsibility (PAR).

3 LPAs. The low-pressure area located 1,140 kilometers east of Central Luzon has a high chance of developing into a tropical depression within the next 24 hours, while the one located 225 kilometers east southeast of Basco, Batanes has a medium chance.

The low-pressure area situated outside of PAR, about 2,850 kilometers east of Eastern Visayas, has a medium chance of becoming a tropical depression, according to PAGASA’s 10 a.m. update.

Heavy rainfall. The state weather bureau has forecast heavy rainfall of 100 to 200 millimeters over Metro Manila, Zambales, Bataan, Pampanga, Bulacan, Cavite, Batangas, Rizal and Occidental Mindoro over the next two days, with Laguna expected to receive similar amounts on Wednesday.

“Flooding is expected in areas that are urbanized, low-lying, and near rivers. Landslides may also occur in moderate to highly susceptible areas,” the DILG said.

PAGASA also reported that La Mesa Dam has been overflowing as of 9 a.m. due to sustained rainfall, sending floodwaters downstream along the Tullahan River through Quezon City, Valenzuela, Caloocan, Malabon, and Navotas.

Meanwhile, the Marikina River remains under second alarm, with water levels at 16.3 meters as of 10:30 a.m. This is down from earlier morning when it peaked at 18.2 meters, triggering the third alarm.

Fatalities. As of Tuesday morning, the NDRRMC has recorded six fatalities, five injured individuals and six missing persons from the combined impact of Crising, the southwest monsoon and low-pressure areas.

For a list of flooded areas in Metro Manila, here’s a live list.