Manila, Sept. 1 -- President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has ordered government agencies and local officials to tighten disaster preparedness and enforce laws, including "no-build zones," as the country grapples with increasingly intense rainfall and flooding caused by the enhanced southwest monsoon (habagat).

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro on Tuesday said Marcos issued the directives during a meeting with Cabinet officials on the Central Luzon flooding and Metro Manila health response, despite the holiday on Monday.

Castro said the President stressed that climate change must be factored into government planning, noting that intense monsoon rains and severe flooding are being experienced not only in the Philippines but in several other...