Philippines: Climate change 'is now a climate catastrophe'

Mini garden at Columban house in Singalong

Source: Columbans

The following report comes from the Columbans' Regional Coordinator for Justice, Peace and the Integrity of Creation in the Philippines. A typhoon swept over the Philippines last week, causing devastating flooding.

The last two days have been declared non-working days in Manila due to the floods that paralyzed the City of Manila and neighbouring areas. According to government agencies the flooding was due to the heavy rainfall of the southwest monsoon enhanced by Typhoon Carina.

We still do not know the number of fatalities and damages from the floods. It was almost impossible to get in and out of the Singalong house as we were surrounded by floods.

A deeper look at the floods in Manila will bring out the different factors that resulted into a tragedy for the poor people who live in informal settlements near creeks and rivers. It was almost a perfect storm. A combination of climate change, Southwest monsoon enhanced by typhoon Carina, denuded forest areas around Manila, lands converted into subdivisions, reclamation of Manila Bay and corrupted governance made it into a perfect storm.

A recent study revealed that the city of Manila itself is sinking at a rate of 2.6cm per year. The flooding took place just two days after the state of the nation address of the president, Bongbong Marcos, son of the former dictator. He did highlight the vulnerability of the Philippines but lacks concrete commitments to fight against the development aggression fuelling the corporate attacks on the environment.

The flooding is a depressing scenario that repeats year after year. I am sure you have seen some of the pictures in the news. I am sending pictures I took around the Columban house in Singalong. These pictures are nothing in comparison to what is happening outside of the Singalong area and Manila in general.

We are coordinating with the Conference of Major Superiors in the Philippines for a quick response to the thousands of evacuees, which includes some of our staff, housed in churches, schools and government-covered court areas.

Indeed, climate change is here and is now a climate catastrophe.