A Vietnamese tourist caught in the country’s rainy season was forced to wade barefoot through floodwaters in Pasay City after heavy downpours on Monday caused water levels to rise rapidly.
“The weather is not good at [this] time. The flood is so awful… So I have to pick up my shoes, walk on my foot, my bare foot,” Doan said in a “24 Oras” report by Mariz Umali.
A preemptive evacuation was ordered in flood-prone parts of Marikina City on Monday after the swollen Marikina River reached the 2nd alarm.
In Raffy Tima's report on "24 Oras", residents and motorists both struggled to cross flooded streets of Barangay San Roque that reached up to waist deep due to the continuous rains spawned by the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat.
“‘Yung tubig na bumagsak sa araw na ito, in five hours’ time, like half a day of Ondoy so ganun kalakas at dami ‘yung volume of ulan. Kaya tulad ng sabi namin kanina, sinasalo din namin ‘yung tubig ulan galing sa Rizal,” said Marikina Mayor Maan Teodoro who was inspecting various flooded parts of the low-lying city.
(The amount of rain that fell today is equivalent to half a days' worth from Typhoon Ondoy so that is the volume of rainwater. Like what I said earlier, our city also catches the rainwater from Rizal Province.)
As of Monday, she said only preemptive evacuations were being undertaken.
Teodoro credited Marikina’s flood control projects since the flooding would be a lot worse without the improvements, according to her.
The city engineer said the large volume of water coming from Rizal province is responsible for the fast rise of floodwater into their city.
Among the parts of Marikina that were flooded included the Tropicana Garden City in Barangay Santo Nino, Brgy. Malanday and Brgy. Santa Elena near city hall.
Engineer Kenedy Sueno said the drainer interceptor in Marcos Highway could not handle the huge amount of water brought by Monday’s rains that began in the morning. He said one possible solution is another interceptor being constructed along the Sumulong Highway.
Meanwhile, the height of the Marikina River increased to 16.8 meters but slightly lowered in the afternoon. Authorities said they will continue to monitor the waterway.
Despite the flooded streets, Marikina City sanitation employees continued to collect trash, some of which were washed away by the current.
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A red rainfall warning has been raised in portions of Bataan and Batangas, while an orange warning was raised in Metro Manila and six other areas on the evening of Monday, August 17, 2026.
PAGASA placed the following areas under Red, Orange, and Yellow warnings in its 8 p.m. advisory:
Red Rainfall Warning (Serious flooding in flood-prone areas)
Orange Rainfall Warning (Flooding is still threatening)
Yellow Rainfall Warning (Flooding in flood-prone areas)
PAGASA said light to moderate with occasional heavy rains persisting within three hours, are forecast to affect the following areas:
Several areas have suspended classes on Tuesday, August 18, due to the bad weather.
PAGASA advised the public and concerned Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Offices to monitor the weather conditions.
The Senate impeachment court suspended the scheduled impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, due to forecast severe weather from the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat.
In a notice signed by Clerk of Court Renato Bantug Jr., issued Monday, the suspension was ordered by the court Presiding Officer, Senator Francis “Chiz” Escudero.
“In view of the forecast heavy rains/flood tomorrow due to the Southwest Monsoon and upon the instruction of the Presiding Officer, the trial scheduled on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, is hereby cancelled,” the notice read.
The House of Representatives' session on Tuesday will be conducted via Zoom, as Secretary General Cheloy Garafil announced a work-from-home arrangement for its officials and employees due to the forecast inclement weather.
However, briefings in the House Committee on Appropriations have been rescheduled to a later date.
In an advisory issued by authority of Speaker Faustino “Bojie” Dy III, Garafil said all officials and employees shall work from home “except those whose physical presence is necessary for essential and critical operations, as determined by their Heads of Department.”
All other scheduled committee hearings will be conducted via Zoom “subject to the discretion of the respective committee chairs.”
“All officials and employees under the WFH arrangement are expected to remain available and responsive during official working hours and to ensure the continuity of essential legislative and administrative services,” Garafil said.
“Everyone is advised to exercise utmost caution and to prioritize their safety and well-being,” she added.
Following heavy downpours driven by the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat, PAGASA recorded 201.7 millimeters (mm) of rainfall in Metro Manila in just five hours on Monday, August 17, 2026.
Citing data from the PAGASA Science Garden Station in Quezon City, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said that the measurement was logged during a continuous downpour from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.
According to the MMDA, 138 mm of rain—over half the total—fell within a brief two-hour window between 12 noon and 2 p.m., triggering flash floods across parts of Metro Manila.
“Mula 12 noon hanggang 2 PM (2 oras lang), umabot na agad sa 138 mm ang ibinuhos na ulan. Kaya naman mabilis na tumaas ang tubig at nagdulot ng baha sa iba't ibang lansangan sa Metro Manila,” the agency said in a Facebook post.
(From 12 noon to 2 p.m. (in just two hours), rainfall quickly hit 138 mm. Because of this, floodwaters rose rapidly, inundating various thoroughfares across Metro Manila.)
The MMDA noted that its flood control personnel were immediately deployed to affected areas to clear clogged drainage systems and speed up water recession.
MMDA advised the public to stay updated on real-time flood conditions on roads via its official Facebook page or hotline (136).
The Southwest Monsoon, or Habagat, is expected to affect weather conditions in Luzon and the Visayas on Tuesday, August 18, the state weather bureau, PAGASA reported in its 4 p.m. bulletin on Monday.
The Habagat is expected to bring monsoon rains over Benguet, La Union, Pangasinan, Zambales, Bataan, and Occidental Mindoro.
Malacañang on Monday directed government offices in the National Capital Region (NCR) and several other provinces to implement alternative work arrangements on Tuesday, August 18, amid heavy rainfall brought by the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat.
The Senate is considering holding committee hearings on the proposed 2027 national budget on Saturdays to make up for workdays suspended or shortened due to inclement weather.
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian on Monday said such work disruptions are a concern for the legislative calendar, especially as the Senate is set to begin deliberations on the proposed budget.
Classes in some areas of the country have been suspended on Tuesday, August 18, 2026, due to inclement weather caused by the Southwest Monsoon or Habagat.
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