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Pedestrians and motorists wade through knee-to-thigh-deep floodwaters due to continuous heavy rains along Kalaw Street toward the LRT Taft Station at United Nations Avenue in Manila on Tuesday, July 22, 2025.
The Philippine STAR / Ryan Baldemor
MANILA, Philippines — The Quezon City Council declared a state of calamity on Tuesday night, July 22, as torrential rains and severe flooding from the southwest monsoon (habagat) and Tropical Depression Dante continue to batter the city.
Quezon City Councilor Alfred Vargas announced in a Facebook post that the city council had approved Resolution PR23CC-054 in a special session on Tuesday, declaring the city under a state of calamity.
The 2 p.m. session of the 23rd City Council was led by Quezon City Vice Mayor Gian Sotto.
Manila to declare. Meanwhile, Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, in a live address around 6 p.m., said he ordered Vice Mayor Chi Atienza to lead an emergency session of the city council on Wednesday, July 22, to formalize the state of calamity declaration.
“Antabayanan ninyo ang sinulatan ko ang Konseho ng Maynila through Vice Mayor Chi Atienza na bukas, wala silang sesyon, ngunit sinabi ko kung pwede mag-emergency session sila — dala ng kailangan na po natin ideklara ang state of calamity sa lungsod ng Maynila,” he said.
(Wait for the letter I wrote to the Manila City Council through Vice Mayor Chi Atienza saying that by tomorrow, since they don’t have a session, I asked if they could hold an emergency session because we now need to declare a state of calamity in the City of Manila.)
Both Moreno and Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte said the state of calamity declaration unlocks the city’s quick response fund, allowing for a faster recovery from the floods.
The quick response fund, which is 30% of the Disaster Risk Reduction and Management (DRRM) fund, is typically used after disasters to address widespread damage. It is only disbursed during a state of calamity.
Where QC will use the fund. Belmonte told DZXL News that Quezon City will use the funds for clean-up drives, materials to repair damaged infrastructure and medicines for evacuees cramped in evacuation centers and with health conditions.
The Quezon City government said that as of 1 p.m., 35,774 people or 10,334 families are currently taking shelter in the city’s evacuation sites.
Meanwhile, Moreno said that beginning July 24, Manila’s barangay officials and the city treasurer can tap into the calamity fund to support their communities’ immediate needs.
As of 3 p.m., Moreno said around 3,035 individuals or 876 families had been evacuated to 22 evacuation centers, with more evacuees expected as the local government continues its operations.
What entails a state of calamity. The declaration of a state of calamity is based on the recommendation of the local DRRMC and must be formalized through a resolution passed by the city council, also known as the Sanggunian.
After the declaration, local government units may request funds from the NDRRMC, which then prompts the DBM to issue the necessary release orders, if approved.
Under the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010, a state of calamity declaration also allows authorities to cap prices of essential goods and offer no-interest loans to affected sectors.
The Cavite government has also declared a state of calamity due to the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Wipha (formerly Crising) and the monsoon rains.
Malacañang earlier ordered the suspension of classes and government work in Metro Manila and 36 provinces for Wednesday, July 23. Here is the list of areas where classes and government work are suspended.
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Disclosure: Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte is a shareholder of Philstar Global Corp., which operates Philstar.com. This article was produced independently in adherence to our editorial and ethical guidelines.
