Tue Jul 22 16:30:24 UTC 2025: **Summary:**

The Philippines is reeling from severe flooding in Manila and surrounding areas caused by monsoon rains and exacerbated by Tropical Storm Wipha. Tens of thousands have been evacuated, and at least six people have died with another six missing. A fresh tropical depression is forming off the coast, threatening further rainfall. Residents are struggling to cope with the floodwaters, using makeshift flotation devices and adapting to the challenging conditions. Climate change is cited as a factor in the increasing intensity of storms in the region.

**News Article:**

**Manila Under Water: Thousands Evacuated as Deadly Floods Sweep Philippines**

**Manila, Philippines – July 22, 2025** – Torrential rains and lingering effects from Tropical Storm Wipha have plunged Manila and surrounding areas into a state of emergency, forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of residents and claiming at least six lives. Authorities have confirmed that six people are still missing amidst the floodwaters.

The Marikina River overflowed its banks following an overnight downpour, leaving neighborhoods submerged in calf-deep water. Over 23,000 people living near the river were evacuated to shelters, while an additional 47,000 were displaced from other areas including Quezon, Pasig, and Caloocan.

Tragedy struck in Caloocan when an elderly woman and her driver were swept away by a swollen creek while attempting to cross a bridge. The driver’s body was recovered later in the day.

“We’ve found (the driver),” Caloocan Mayor Dale Gonzalo Malapitan told local radio station DZMM. “The body was recovered 4.5 kilometers from where the vehicle was swept away…. They were unable to bail out.”

While floodwaters began to recede in Manila by Tuesday afternoon, the National Weather Service announced the formation of a new tropical depression off the country’s east coast. While the depression is not expected to make landfall, it is forecast to bring continued heavy rainfall throughout the week, hindering relief efforts and prolonging the crisis.

In Cainta, a town just outside Manila, residents are resorting to resourceful measures to navigate the flooded streets. Reports include using styrofoam boxes and discarded refrigerators as makeshift boats. One resident, Angelo Dela Cruz, was seen using a rubber boat to transport rice for his aunt’s business.

“Instead of using the van, we have to use the boat and push it while we wade through the flood to prevent the rice from getting wet,” Dela Cruz said.

The Philippines is highly vulnerable to storms and typhoons, experiencing an average of 20 each year. Experts are warning that climate change is exacerbating the intensity of these storms, disproportionately impacting the country’s poorest regions.

“This is hard, because if the rain will continue… the river will swell,” lamented Avelina Lumangtad, a 61-year-old Manila street sweeper, as she stood beside a flooded thoroughfare.

Relief efforts are underway, but the situation remains precarious with thousands still displaced and the threat of more rain looming.

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