Why do Metro Manila’s rich villages stay flood-free? Because when the heavens open, privilege floats to the top. While the rest of the metropolis transforms into a chaotic blend of wading pool and parking lot, the gated elite lounge in their bone-dry enclaves, sipping artisanal coffee and pretending not to hear the distant screams of commuters stranded in waist-deep baha.
The secret? Oh, it’s not rocket science—just the usual suspects:
- Elevation is the best flood control – Their homes aren’t just above sea level; they’re above your level. Water, like the help, knows its place.
- Drainage systems that actually drain – Shocking concept, right? Turns out maintenance works when it’s not just a photo op before elections.
- No floating sachet kingdoms – You won’t find a decade’s worth of fishball sticks and “mineral” water bottles clogging their sewers. Just tastefully landscaped gardens.
- Money moves faster than floodwater – A pipe bursts? Fixed by noon. A flooded street? Not theirs. Funny how that works.
- The VIP hotline to City Hall – When you fund campaigns, your calls get answered. The rest of us? “All lines are busy. Please try again later.”
Meanwhile, the masses cling to the dream of one dry commute, one un-soggy shoe, one day when the streets don’t double as rivers.
Because in Metro Manila, staying dry isn’t about luck—it’s about village address.
Endnotes
- “Philippines Suspends Work, Classes Due to Heavy Rains,” Bloomberg, July 21, 2025. https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-21/philippines-suspends-government-work-classes-due-to-heavy-rains
- “MMDA: Flooding Continues in Metro Manila Early 22 July,” Daily Tribune, July 21, 2025. https://tribune.net.ph/2025/07/21/mmda-flooding-continues-in-metro-manila-early-22-july
- “Habagat to Dump Even More Rain on Metro Manila,” The Manila Times, July 22, 2025. https://www.manilatimes.net/2025/07/22/news/national/habagat-to-dump-even-more-rain-on-metro-manila/2153292
