Mayor Maan on Marikina floods receding in less than 24 hours: 'Not magic, but community strength

Marikina City Mayor Maan Teodoro said the fast-receding floods in the city, despite it being a natural valley, is not magic but the strength of a community that refuses to give up, built on disaster resilience and the discipline of Marikeños.

- By RICHIELYN CANLAS

Teodoro said this as she shared Marikina's experience in disaster resilience at the recent IoT 2025 Conference: Resilience for All, Future-Proofing Our Communities, held at the SMX Convention Center.

In her speech, she highlighted that Marikina's resilience is reflected in the widening of the Marikina River, integrated drainage systems, strict waste management, and the culture of discipline among Marikeños.

"Your presence here today reflects something important—that resilience is not the sole responsibility of the government. It is the mission of all who care about the future of our cities," she said.

Teodoro emphasized that the word "resilience" is often overused and associated only with surviving a calamity or seen simply as a Filipino trait, but it should be redefined as a guiding principle.

"In the Philippines, the word 'resilience' is too often spoken of only after the floodwaters have receded, after the rubble has been cleared, after lives have already been disrupted," she said.