Maricris Ramos was 23 at the time and recalls the pure fear that struck her community in Navotas, an exposed district facing Manila Bay.

“First, the waves became big, alarmingly big.  They crashed into our house, destroying it. Our house used to stand there,” she said, pointing to a spot closer to the current shorefront.

Tengson’s waterfront houses were struck hard by Typhoon Nesat in 2011.

Her family’s home – and the thousands of others in Tengson – are now further elevated above the water level and are sheltered by a dike system, which is designed to prevent flooding during powerful storm surges, as happened in 2011.

Tengson feels precarious. The houses, mostly made from flimsy metal, are stacked like Lego bricks. The passages between them are narrow and dank and plastic waste engulfs areas where adults work and children play.

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