How Climate Change and Land Reclamation Are Consuming Philippine Coastal Villages

The impact on local communities is immediate and catastrophic. In places like Hagonoy, a municipality on the coast of Manila Bay, the sea is no longer a distant presence but an invasive force. Streets that were once dry are now permanently submerged. Residents are forced to wade through knee-deep water just to go about their daily lives. Homes that have stood for generations are being swallowed by the sea, their foundations crumbling and their walls succumbing to the relentless moisture. This is not a slow erosion; for many, it is a sudden and dramatic loss.