FILE PHOTO: People cross a river next to a bridge that collapsed after the river overflowed due to heavy rains brought about by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami) in Laurel, Batangas province, south of Manila, on October 25, 2024. 鈥� 鈥淭he flood controls are there; they were just overwhelmed,鈥漺as the explanation offered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. amid criticisms that followed massive floodings as consecutive typhoons lashed parts of the country recently. Marcos was in Batangas on Monday, November 4, 2024, and distributed aid to families, farmers, and fishermen affected by聽 (Photo by Ted ALJIBE / Agence France-Presse)
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� 鈥淭he flood controls are there; they were just overwhelmed.鈥�
This was the explanation offered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. amid criticisms that followed massive floodings as consecutive typhoons lashed parts of the country recently.
Marcos was in Batangas on Monday and distributed aid to families, farmers, and fishermen affected by Severe Tropical Storm Kristine (international name: Trami).
READ: In Bicol, damage wrought by Kristine on agri, infra tops P6 billion
鈥淢any people are saying, I read in the newspaper, I hear on the radio, television, 鈥榃here are the flood controls?鈥� The flood controls are there; they were just overwhelmed,鈥� he said in mixed Filipino and English during an ambush interview.
The National Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Council (NDRRMC) said in its November 2 report that reported deaths from Kristine climbed to 146 鈥� of which 20 were validated. The highest validated death count was in the Bicol Region at 15.
搁贰础顿:听NDRRMC: Reported deaths due to Kristine climb to 146
鈥淟ook at the statistics. During Typhoon Ondoy, the rainfall was over 400 centimeters. Here in Kristine, the rainfall was about 700 centimeters, almost double that of Ondoy,鈥� Marcos also said.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 why the flood control measures we implemented were for floods like during Ondoy. Before this, talk to the people in areas where the land has collapsed, thatonly happened now; it hasn鈥檛 happened before,鈥� he added.