Poor drainage, rapid growth blamed as floods hit rich and poor in Bacolod, Talisay

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The flood didn’t stop where it used to. It pushed past informal settlements, past middle-class subdivisions, and breached the gates of exclusive neighborhoods.

NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – A sudden downpour submerged streets and homes in Bacolod and Talisay cities, displacing more than 18,000 people and exposing long-standing infrastructure and waste management problems.

Street sections vanished under water following more than four hours of continuous monsoon rain on Friday night, July 11. Homes, both modest and grand, were breached. 

The flood didn’t stop where it used to. It pushed past informal settlements, past middle-class subdivisions, and breached the gates of exclusive neighborhoods like Santa Clara Subdivision in Barangay Mandalagan, often referred to as the “Forbes Park of Bacolod.” 

By dawn, some 3,562 families were adversely affected across both cities in Negros Occidental by floodwaters that reached as high as four feet in the worst-hit areas.

TRAPPED AND RESCUED. Rescue workers carry a nun who was trapped along with several others in a convent in Purok Barracuda, Barangay 1, Bacolod during the flooding on July 11, 2025. courtesy of BFP

Local officials blamed uncollected garbage, inadequate drainage, and rapid urbanization for the flooding. 

The flooding renewed concerns over the vulnerability of urban centers to climate-related events and the lag in basic infrastructure upgrades amid continued development.

“Flooding kept us awake. The little sleep we got was uneasy,” said former Negros Occidental governor Rafael “Lito” Coscolluela, a long-time Santa Clara resident. “This was the second highest flood, and probably the fastest we’ve had, in maybe 10 years.”

“There has got to be a better way to solve this problem. Heavy rain, poor drainage and basura (garbage) make a bad combination,” said Coscolluela.

The flooding inundated 12 barangays in Bacolod and 16 in Talisay, forcing at least 1,612 people in Bacolod and 15,605 in Talisay to evacuate, local officials said.

Bacolod Mayor Greg Gasataya acknowledged that clogged waterways, aging flood control systems, and unchecked real estate development contributed to the disaster. 

The worst-hit areas were Banago, Mandalagan, and Bata, which host many of Bacolod’s biggest businesses and commercial establishments. Portions of Lacson Street, Bacolod’s main artery lined with malls and hotels, were submerged.

In Talisay, Mayor Rowena Lopez-Lizares also cited garbage and debris as key causes of flooding. 

Declogging operations are set to begin Monday, July 14, and consultations with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) are underway for long-term mitigation measures, Lizares said.

Floodwaters also reached Bacolod’s main port area and surrounding roads near SM City-Bacolod, paralyzing mobility in the city’s commercial hub.

The recurring flooding problem, which now breached the gates of affluent subdivisions, has underscored the need for systemic solutions. 

With both the urban poor and elite now affected, pressure mounts on local leaders to deliver lasting reforms in a province rapidly expanding but ill-equipped for climate shocks.

Gasataya, just two weeks into his first term as mayor, said dredging and cleanup efforts would be intensified to expedite the completion of a P147-million diversion channel project along Burgos Street aimed at redirecting stormwater from Mambuloc Creek to the sea.

He said the project, implemented by the DPWH, is about 70% complete. 

A day before the flood, Gasataya led declogging work at Mambuloc Creek, where over 26,000 kilograms of waste, equivalent to three garbage truckloads, were removed.

“We will not turn a blind eye to this,” Gasataya said, vowing both immediate response and longer-term drainage upgrades.

Last week’s disaster brought back memories of previous severe floods. In August 2023, flooding affected over 4,000 families and prompted then-mayor and now Representative Albee Benitez to place Bacolod under a state of calamity. He had promised to bring in Dutch flood experts, but no such initiative materialized.

Friday’s flooding was the worst to hit Talisay since January 2021, when over 2,900 families were displaced in the city and neighboring areas. – Rappler.com