As floodwaters swallow fields and force evacuations, Iloilo Governor Arthur Defensor Jr. calls on the province to stop treating disasters as one-time crises—and start preparing for extreme weather as a permanent reality.

Relentless rains from the southwest monsoon (Habagat) have caused over P2.2 million in agricultural losses across Iloilo, according to damage reports presented by Defensor.

Citing data from the Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (PDRRMO), Defensor said rice farms in Lambunao, Leganes, Oton, Pototan, San Joaquin, San Miguel, and Tubungan suffered P2.091 million in losses. In Concepcion, corn farms reported an additional P164,215 in damages.

“It’s time to accept that extreme weather and flooding are now part of the province’s everyday reality,” Defensor emphasized. “We can no longer consider heavy rains and floods as rare events. For Ilonggos, this is now the new normal.”

With floods expected to recur annually, Defensor said the province must shift its disaster strategy from reactive rescue efforts to proactive risk reduction.

“Flooding will happen every year. If our goal is zero casualties, then we shouldn’t wait until we need to rescue people,” he stressed.

A key initiative in this shift is the Purok Resilience Program, launched under Executive Order No. 222 in 2022. The program aims to relocate residents from flood-prone zones to safer housing sites supported by the provincial government.

One such site—a P30-million, 30-unit relocation project in Batad—is already 50 percent complete, based on recent updates from the Provincial Planning and Development Office.

The provincial government is also investing in improved disaster communication systems, especially in remote areas, to ensure timely alerts and evacuation notices reach all communities.

Support for municipal and barangay-level disaster response units is being increased, while infrastructure projects are underway to address the root causes of flooding.

Among them: the clearing of major waterways, beginning with the Batiano River in Oton, which connects to Iloilo City.

“We don’t want to keep going through the same thing every year,” Defensor said.

“We need long-term solutions, and we’re already working on them.” a long-term strategy that protects lives, livelihoods, and communities,” he further said.IMT