The floodwaters came, but they never left. In the region around Bulacan, a provincial area in Luzon, in northern Philippines, many communities have been literally knee-deep in water for more than three months plus now. 

Water that overflowed the banks of a river that surged in July, has remained, covering the landscape in a shallow pool ever since. 

“We got used to the flood waters stagnating in our homes,” says Meldrid Liodel, a 53-year-old single mother. “We have tried not to get stressed about it. It is very difficult to stand up [due to the water], especially the cleaning, the cleaning of our homes [is difficult].”

“I have six children and seven grandchildren. If you ask why we do not just move away, this is where we were born, we grew up, we made families, and we continue to fight for our lives.”

Meldrid, as well as all her neighbours and communities, are learning to live their daily lives in shin-deep water. They get around in narrow canoes and many received boats from the local government to help with their daily commutes. 

The gardening they do for daily sustenance has also changed radically. They’ve started planting vegetables that grow well on water, and they began open air-drying fish that they catch from their rooftops. The fish and vegetables they use to earn a small income and feed their families.

“These floods here started happening way back when Mount Pinatubo erupted many years ago,” Meldrid adds.“Before this, we had crops, we had a lot of rice fields, the farmers could farm, the fishermen could fish well.” 

Mount Pinatubo is just more than 90 kilometers from Bulacan, Central Luzon, where Meldrid’s community lives. Many years after the eruption, they realised that the entire local irrigation network, as well as the water channels and infrastructure in the surrounding regions, had been damaged by the volcano. Ever since, thousands of communities were suffering from continuous floods that would never subside. 

The floods are a result of a combination of back flooding, high-tide, and water brought in from storms and typhoons. This has occurred more frequently in the past decade.

Just the beginning

Yet, this is not the full story. The Philippines sits one of the most disaster-prone zones in the world. Yearly, the country experiences multiple typhoons, floods, volcanic activity, and even earthquakes.

By late November 2024, a total of six typhoons had pounded the Philippines back-to-back in various regions, dumping onto its land copious amounts of rushing water and causing widespread destruction. While international aid is vital for humanitarian purposes, it is not immediate, and affected people are in dire need of help the very hour the disaster hits. 

A team from the Philippines Red Cross pays a visit to Amelia Torres, who sits on a bench in her living room, her feet submerged in murky water. Her home has been carpeted in shin-deep water since July 2024.

Photo: Rachel Punitha/IFRC

The storms only intensified the already chronic flooding problem.  “Typhoon Carina was very strong, and it was sudden,” says Amelia Torres, who stands with her husband in their living room, which has been carpeted in to two feet of water since July 2024. “It suddenly intensified and didn’t go away and it didn't stop. The floods didn't subside.”

All their belongings are hanging on the walls, dangling from the ceiling, or are perched on top of shelves and tables. Their bed and mattress are in the living room, about one foot above the water. “Sometimes, it's only dry for just 3 months of the year,” she adds.

Rapid response fund to the rescue

This is where the IFRC DREF – Disaster Response Emergency Fund has been such a critical asset. This fund delivers financial support directly to local humanitarian actors—both before a crisis is expected to hit and after. These funds go directly to National Societies, and they are those that are very embedded in local communities. 

In the case of recent storms, the funds enabled the Philippine Red Cross to galvanize their response to quickly reach people while further funds are being procured globally.  They were able to prepare evacuation centres,deploy evacuation teams, and quickly get hot meals, essential items, hygiene kits and more to the people.

The IFRC-DREF mechanism was originally designed to respond to small- and medium-sized disasters, but it has evolved to include support for anticipatory action. By acting before disasters strike, IFRC aims for it to enable the saving of more lives and livelihoods and minimizing the devastating impacts.

The Philippines have been a recipient of IFRC-DREF three times for the year 2024, and the Philippine Red Cross, along with the IFRC and partners, have been helping with relief, evacuation, hot meals, medical aid, and much more. 

Edgardo Sibbaluca, a construction worker in Rizal, a province in Central Luzon, stands outside his home. His family of six experienced the full force of Super Typhoon Carina that hit the Philippines in July this year.

Photo: Rachel Punitha/IFRC

That support is critical to people like Edgardo Sibbaluca, a construction worker in Rizal, another province in Central Luzon. His family of six experienced the full force of Super Typhoon Carina that hit in July this year.

“We couldn’t save anything; we lost all our belongings,” he says. “We had to evacuate. We are now sleeping in the evacuation centre. Food is being brought to us, and that’s what we’re relying on. Fortunately, it occurred in the morning. If it had happened at night, many would have died. I felt weak; all I could see were piles of trash. I felt very weak.  

“But I’m thankful that at least our lives were spared. I’ll rebuild my house and fix my surroundings. I’ll plant again and go back to work. I’ll restore everything to how it was so I can get back on my feet.” 

“I feel like we have to be cautious now,” added Edgardo, who expressed gratitude for the support he received from the Red Cross. “We need to be prepared for disasters because we might have to evacuate again. I’m afraid of strong disasters that come suddenly. I want us to be strong and brave, to face challenges without fear and to be prepared.”

By Rachel Punitha, IFRC Senior Communications Officer, Asia Pacific