Drivers were forced to sit on the roofs of their cars as floods hit the Philippine capital.

Vince Abellanida and other motorists were stranded at a waterlogged, congested petrol station in Manila on August 30.

Footage shows stationary vehicles scattered along the hip-deep roadway after continuous rainfall battered the region.

The Philippines and neighbouring Southeast Asian countries are entering their annual monsoon season, marked by soaring temperatures followed by intense rainstorms.

The region's low-lying geography, inadequate drainage systems, and rapid urbanisation make it especially vulnerable to flooding.

Limited infrastructure often struggles to handle the heavy rainfall, resulting in widespread flash floods.

President Ferdinand 'Bongbong' Marcos Jr has ordered a full audit of the Department of Public Works and Highways' (DPWH) flood control initiatives, along with lifestyle checks on officials and public disclosure of projects.

The directive came after reports of corruption, ghost projects, and disproportionate contract awards linked to flood control programmes since 2022.

He said: 'I recently inspected the aftermath of typhoons Wipha, Francisco, Co-may, and the southwest monsoon. I saw that many flood control projects were poorly built and have collapsed, while others were simply imaginary.'

Local media reported that more than 6,000 flood control projects worth 350 billion PHP (approximately 4.9 billion GBP) lacked essential details, raising concerns over transparency in government infrastructure spending.

At least 15 contractors are now under investigation after cornering a combined 545 billion PHP (approximately 7.63 billion GBP) program budget.

Meanwhile, public outrage has grown as residents criticized the families of those contractors, exposing their lavish lifestyles and condemning the misuse of public funds.

(1 PHP = 0.013 GBP)