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MANILA — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Tuesday attributed the unabated flooding in some portions of Metro Manila possibly to the diminishing tree cover in the region.

MMDA task force on special operations head Bong Nebrija said while their cleaning drive and drainage declogging efforts are held all year round, flooding still happens amid the supposed declining of trees in Metro Manila.

"'Yung mga mararanasan natin, talagang hindi maiiwasan ang pagbaha na ito sa kadahilanan na ang halos lahat ng ating kalsadahan ay paved already," said Nebrija during a televised briefing.

"Bihira na po ang puno sa kalakhang Maynila na magho-hold sa mga tubig na ito. Kaya, naiipon sa mabababang lugar. Kaya ang sinisikap ng MMDA ay padaliin ang pag-subside nito o pagsipsip ng mga drainages at mga estero."

Data from the environment department's forest management bureau showed that Metro Manila has 2,820 hectares of forest cover as of 2010.

Mongabay, an environment news platform, said the region lost 2.8 percent of its 3,000 forest cover between 2001 and 2020.

Knee-deep floods hit several portions of the region in the past two days because of rains brought by the habagat.

• Active habagat to dump rains over Luzon for 2 days: PAGASA

Nebrija said the MMDA has 72 total flood pumping stations, many of which have already improved capacity.