The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) has instructed local government units (LGUs) to step up preventive measures against flooding, flash floods, and rain-induced landslides, as over 17,000 barangays face moderate to very high susceptibility to these hazards.
The directive follows assessments from the DENR-Mines and Geosciences Bureau identifying communities at risk from Aug. 17 to 19, 2026, driven by the combined effects of the southwest monsoon and a low-pressure area (LPA). According to DOST-PAGASA, the LPA inside the Philippine Area of Responsibility has the potential to develop into a tropical depression, bringing heavy rainfall across affected regions.
In an advisory, the DILG directed LGUs to conduct pre-disaster risk assessments covering floods, flash floods, rain-induced landslides, debris flow, strong winds and other hydrometeorological hazards. Local governments were instructed to implement preemptive or mandatory evacuations in communities repeatedly affected by flooding and landslides when conditions warrant. Residents in highly susceptible areas are strongly encouraged to evacuate to safer ground, while those living in communities where landslides have already occurred must not be allowed to return until authorities declare the area safe.
The DILG also ordered LGUs to ensure that health facilities and evacuation centers maintain dependable power supplies and functioning generator systems. Using hydrometeorological hazard maps, LGUs must prioritize vulnerable communities, preposition personnel and equipment to keep emergency response routes clear, closely monitor river levels and strictly restrict access to flash flood-prone zones.
The DILG emphasized that LGUs must take action before weather conditions deteriorate, particularly in identified high-risk areas, to safeguard lives and ensure emergency response operations proceed without delay.