The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has launched an investigation into the online proliferation of fabricated flood imagery, including artificial intelligence-generated content depicting Metro Manila streets inundated with water and debris.
MMDA General Manager Nicolas Torre III announced on Wednesday that the agency is collaborating with law enforcement and technology bodies—including the Philippine National Police, the Department of Information and Communications Technology, and the Cybercrime Investigation and Coordinating Center—to identify those responsible for distributing the deceptive media.
Torre condemned the posts, which included recycled video footage and AI manipulations, labeling the acts as “downright criminal” and “malicious.”
He emphasized that accurate evaluations of flood severity rely on objective metrics, such as floodwater depth, affected geographical area, and the speed of recedence. He pointed out that conditions in the Camanava (Caloocan, Malabon, Navotas, and Valenzuela) sub-region have shown progress.
Despite the spread of misrepresentative content, Torre acknowledged that uncollected refuse continues to exacerbate actual flooding across the metropolis.
“Malaki talaga ang naging epekto ng basura sa mga pagbaha natin, kasi ito ang naging cause ng pagliit ng water channel at ito rin ang naging cause ng pag-malfunction ng ating pumping stations,” he stated during a news briefing.
According to agency figures, the MMDA removes approximately 1,000 tons of trash monthly from local drainage channels and pumping facilities, totaling roughly 12,000 tons annually.