The 2026 Stormwater Summit concludes with an urgent call for cooperation on climate-resilient infrastructure in the Philippines
As extreme weather events increasingly cripple both urban and rural areas, the 2026 Stormwater Summit brought together relevant stakeholders from the private and public sectors at the Makati Shangri-La to discuss best practices.
This landmark event brought together policy makers, government officials, business leaders, and community advocates to redefine the national approach to flood mitigation and climate adaptation.
Moving away from the traditional reliance on disaster relief, the conference emphasized a paradigm shift to proactive, water-based planning. The organizers of the meeting addressed the urgent need to review flood water management practices, implement new methods, and have everyone work together to ultimately achieve the common goal of building resilient cities through smart water management.
Strengthening Readiness
Honorary Secretary Christina Garcia Frasco, Presidential Advisor on Sustainable and Sustainable Communities, delivered the Opening Remarks, setting the final tone for the event. He stressed the importance of strengthening preparedness to reduce potential problems.
“The summit comes at an important time in the Philippines and in the Asia Pacific region. Across our region, communities are facing risks of increasing complexity – extreme weather, rapid urbanization, and environmental pressures are placing huge demands on the systems that support daily life. Their impact goes beyond needs, damage to infrastructure, because they disrupt livelihoods, disrupt economic activity, and stress millions that affect the daily lives of Filipinos. Protecting communities is not “It’s not just about responding after destruction, it’s about reducing risk before it becomes a problem, strengthening preparedness, and creating the conditions for sustainable development to endure in the face of increasingly complex challenges,” said Secretary Frasco.
Social Responsibility Engagement
Another important point of the conference was to stop viewing flood control as a government infrastructure issue to seeing it as a public responsibility. Office of Defense (OCD) Ambassador Jose Sixto “Dingdong” Dantes delivered a powerful speech about the culture of protection and daily vigilance by sharing his experience working with the government and civilians over the years.
“Floods have become so common that we have accepted them in our daily lives.” That when it rains, we automatically think ‘No, there will be a flood. Dantes thought.
He then shared stories of his experiences as an actor, television host, producer, navy, volunteer, and former Chief Commissioner of the National Youth Commission. “I had the privilege not only to show different lives but also to meet extraordinary Filipinos from all walks of life. In times of crisis, I saw something extraordinary, that Filipinos do not wait to be told to care for them. One of our greatest virtues as human beings is our natural obligation to truly help each other. But those events left me with questions before the disaster, and not the same? Echoing Secretary Frasco’s sentiments, Dantes noted, “Compassion is really powerful but it changes when people organize for the same purpose.” As the OCD campaign ambassador of Panatag Pilipinas, Dantes shared that their goal is not to scare people but to make preparedness a part of the daily life of Filipinos, “Preparedness is not living in fear but living with confidence,” said Dantes.
Ask for a Strong Partnership
DPWH Secretary Charles Calima, shared important information about the national way to deal with the growing challenges of storm water management, in his speech of the day titled, Developing New Methods Against Flooding.
“Each year our country faces major floods, to deal with this chronic problem, President Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. ordered the DPWH to ensure that flood control projects should work for the benefit of those who are most affected, who live in these areas prone to floods, stressing that there should be no projects that are shallow or shallow,” shared USEC Calima.
One notable example of DPWH’s efforts is the Oplan Kontra Baha program that aims to reduce severe, severe floods in low-lying areas, in collaboration with local government units (LGUs) and private companies. “We ask for strong cooperation with LGUs, civil society organizations and private companies. Water has no boundaries, it follows the river regardless of the size of the river. This is not a problem of one agency alone. Intervention is not another framework, intervention is coordination.”
Integrated Water Strategy
Looking beyond the shores of the Philippines to a country that has succeeded in transforming its water vulnerability into a world-class force, guests learn more about Singapore’s integrated water strategy that has successfully reduced urban flooding. PUB, Exhibitors Pte. Ltd. Managing Director Mr. Ryan Yuen, gave a presentation titled, Building Resilience Through Resilience: Singapore’s Stormwater Solutions and the Critical Role of Land Management Measures.
Expressing appreciation for USEC Calima’s call for an integrated approach to flood water management, Mr. Yuen shared that this was their way too. As Singapore’s National Water Agency, PUB, we ensure both sustainable water supply and effective management of coastal and inland flood resilience. He then shared more about Singapore’s water management strategies, highlighting that water reuse is an important part of their strategy. He discussed several similarities and differences that the Philippines has with Singapore, such as receiving heavy rainfall and dense cities, therefore, it is important not to waste infrastructure, and the need for different water collection and wastewater management systems.
Embracing New Technology
Focusing on the important role of the private sector. Infrastructure projects, if done well, contribute greatly to solving stormwater problems. Also from Singapore, the CEO of Flexi Systems and FloodX, which also hosts Dam Easy, Ms. April Yang, showed the new equipment available to protect businesses, utilities, and homes with her presentation, Protecting Watersheds and Waterways, Supporting Strong Cities.
A Singaporean water engineering and technology company specializing in integrated environmental and digital solutions for flood water treatment and erosion control systems, Flexi Systems owns products such as Dam Easy and Flood X, serving clients worldwide, including the Philippines through its exclusive local distributor, Scottsdale Corporation.
During her session, Mrs. Yang urged participants to explore new “solutions out there,” highlighting Flexi System’s Earth Control Measures (ECM) compliant technology. These measures represent important land management strategies aimed at preventing soil erosion and preventing silt-contaminated runoff from entering public drainage systems and natural waterways. Key implementations of these strategies include cross-border canals, embankments, and special sewage treatment systems. Although developing countries such as Singapore have successfully integrated ECM through strong land application legislation, those frameworks have yet to be fully implemented in the Philippines.
He demonstrated the different products available under Dam Easy and Flood X. From Dam Easy’s adjustable flood barriers designed to safely fit through doorways and openings and Flood X’s innovative flood protection solutions for coastal development, industrial, public, commercial, and residential areas.
Facilitating a dialogue covering climate-resilient infrastructure, real-time monitoring, regulatory frameworks, and integration strategies was Archipelago News Editor-in-Chief, Mr. Andrew Masigan also presented closing remarks.
“In a country that receives so much rain, we haven’t learned how to manage water properly. This is the big paradox of water management in the Philippines: we suffer because we have a lot of water, and then we suffer again because we don’t have enough. Clearly something has to change, and the discussions we had today are leading us in the right direction.”
At the end of the conference, the organizers and attendees were able to discuss not only the best practices but also the understanding that effective and sustainable floodwater management can only be achieved through commitment and shared effort.
Stormwater Summit 2026 is presented by Archipelago Media and Approach Consultancy, with Media Partners BusinessWorld and The Philippine Star, supported by Dam Easy Flood Barriers, FloodX, Flexi Systems, and Craft House Enterprises. For more information on Stormwater Summit please visit https://storm-watersolutions.com/.
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