Manila: The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) is pursuing an investigation into the dissemination of fabricated flood photos and videos circulating online. These include AI-generated images and videos falsely portraying streets as flooded and littered with garbage.
According to Philippines News Agency, MMDA general manager Undersecretary Nicolas Torre III, during an interview on Bagong Pilipinas Ngayon, stated that the agency is collaborating with the Philippine National Police, Department of Information and Communications Technology, and Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center to address the issue. Torre described the spread of these falsifications as "downright criminal" and "very, very malicious."
Torre emphasized that testimony and official reports from local governments indicate genuine improvements in flooding, assessed through scientific and practical measures such as the width of affected areas, water depth, and the speed at which floodwaters recede. He highlighted the CAMANAVA area (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela), a region historically prone to severe flooding, as having shown significant improvement along with other parts of Metro Manila.
Despite these improvements, Torre acknowledged that garbage remains a significant contributor to the flooding problem, alongside rainfall volume and outdated water channels. He pointed out that the MMDA collects around 1,000 tons of garbage monthly from pumping stations and waterways, amounting to roughly 12,000 tons annually.
The situation was particularly evident in Baclaran, where recent heavy rains washed a substantial amount of garbage into the area. In response, the MMDA deployed a mechanized trash collector to expedite debris removal from waterways.
Torre also expressed the agency's support for legislative moves to increase penalties for improper waste disposal. He noted that these penalties, determined by law, are enforced by the MMDA in cooperation with local government units. The Metro Manila Council Resolution or MMDA Regulation No. 25-002, series of 2025, imposes fines for littering, dumping, and improper waste disposal, with penalties set at PHP5,000 in Metro Manila cities and PHP2,500 in Pateros.
The regulation, signed by MMDA chairperson Romando Artes and approved on September 16, 2025, further amended previous regulations to increase penalties as a deterrent against irresponsible waste disposal and to address its role in exacerbating flooding and spreading disease. Additionally, it encouraged Metro Manila local government units to update their ordinances on anti-littering and solid waste disposal to align with the revised penalty scale.
