President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. has officially launched a major multi-sectoral campaign to address the persistent flooding in Metro Manila by clearing the region’s heavily polluted waterways. The initiative, named “Bayanihan sa Estero, Malinis na Estero, Mamamayan Protektado,” aims to prevent flash floods during the rainy season by reviving the metro’s natural drainage systems.
President Marcos inaugurated the program during a cleanup operation at Buli Creek in Pinagbuhatan, Pasig City. Invoking the Filipino spirit of “bayanihan,” or community cooperation, he emphasized the critical need for a united effort involving national and local government agencies, as well as civil society groups, to find a lasting solution to the yearly flooding crisis.
“We are all here because we need to find a solution to this,” President Marcos stated, noting that the yearly cycle of flooding and evacuations cannot be allowed to continue. “We have a way to address this, and we must do our best to clean our waterways.”
During the event, the President observed the severe blockage of Buli Creek caused by heavy siltation and dense water hyacinth overgrowth, noting that the buildup was so thick that workers could walk on the vegetation across the water.
The “Bayanihan sa Estero” campaign is spearheaded by the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and brings together key government bodies, including the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), and the Department of Education (DepEd), among others.
The MMDA has identified 273 rivers, tributaries, and canals in Metro Manila that are crucial for the region’s drainage. Blocked by garbage and water hyacinth, these waterways fail to drain rainwater effectively, leading to significant flooding in low-lying communities.
The initial phase of the campaign focuses on the cleanup of 23 priority esteros that suffer from severe siltation and poor water flow. The MMDA reported that the cleanup of 12 waterways was completed before the recent typhoons, which helped mitigate the impact of heavy rains and reduce flooding in those areas. Cleanup operations on five other waterways, including Buli Creek, are currently underway.
