Understanding and addressing risks of flooding in the city: The case of Barangay Potrero, Metro Manila

This case study examines the application of the Partners for Resilience (PfR) programme in Barangay Potrero, Malabon City, to address severe urban flooding. By combining customised risk communication, localised early warning systems in partnership with the national meteorological agency (PAGASA), and inter-city coordination within the Tullahan River Basin, the project aimed to shift community and leadership mindsets from passive acceptance of flooding to proactive risk management.

• Malabon City, particularly Barangay Potrero, is highly susceptible to frequent flooding due to its low-lying, flat terrain and its location in the estuary of several river deltas. Flooding is exacerbated by high tides, heavy rains, and the overflow of rivers and dams, with the Tullahan River being a primary factor. The river's capacity to hold water has decreased as it has become narrower and shallower over time.
• The Partners for Resilience (PfR) programme implemented a holistic approach in Barangay Potrero to build capacity for identifying the causes of flooding. This included using customised risk communication tools such as film showings, purok meetings, and large-format tarpaulin flood risk maps for the community, while providing capacity-building workshops on community-based disaster risk management and contingency planning for local chief executives.
• To improve early warning systems (EWS), PfR facilitated a partnership between the local government and the Philippine Atmospheric Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration (PAGASA). This partnership aimed to localise and simplify scientific weather forecasts to make them more accessible and actionable for community members, moving away from a passive acceptance of flooding.
• An improved EWS for the Tullahan River Basin requires the integration of rainfall data, water level rises, and tide timings. Currently, eight early warning devices are in use; four feed into the PAGASA hydrometeorology centre and four were installed by the Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI). In September 2013, PfR led consultations to harmonise EWS protocols across the five cities within the river basin.
• The Barangay Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Committee (BDRRMC) refined its contingency and risk reduction plans with PfR support. Improvements included a better assessment of risk situations, increased access to climate information, and stronger participation from community-based organisations to address the fact that floods often occur due to intense rain in upstream areas even when it is not raining locally.
• Several enabling factors contributed to the success of the resilience-building efforts in Malabon, including the openness of local leaders to shift their paradigms, the high accessibility of information and funds in an urban setting, and the existence of national policies on disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation.

APA

Arcilla, M. J. D., & Lagdameo, D. M. (2015). Understanding and addressing risks of flooding in the city: The case of Barangay Potrero, Metro Manila. Climate and Development Knowledge Network. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Inside-Story-Barangay-Potrero-Malabon1.pdf

Chicago

Arcilla, Merdi Jean D., and Donna Mitzi Lagdameo. Understanding and addressing risks of flooding in the city: The case of Barangay Potrero, Metro Manila. Climate and Development Knowledge Network, 2015. http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Inside-Story-Barangay-Potrero-Malabon1.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Arcilla |first1=Merdi Jean D. |last2=Lagdameo |first2=Donna Mitzi |title=Understanding and addressing risks of flooding in the city: The case of Barangay Potrero, Metro Manila |publisher=Climate and Development Knowledge Network |date=January 2015 |url=http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Inside-Story-Barangay-Potrero-Malabon1.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{arcilla2015understanding, author = {Arcilla, Merdi Jean D. and Lagdameo, Donna Mitzi}, title = {{Understanding and addressing risks of flooding in the city: The case of Barangay Potrero, Metro Manila}}, institution = {Climate and Development Knowledge Network}, year = {2015}, month = jan, url = {http://cdkn.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/01/Inside-Story-Barangay-Potrero-Malabon1.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }