President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. personally inspected ongoing clearing and waste collection operations at the Baclaran River in Parañaque City, directing agencies to accelerate efforts following a massive buildup of garbage triggered by heavy monsoon rains and recent tropical cyclones.
The site visit follows widespread public attention after extreme weather brought unprecedented rainfall to the metropolis, causing a severe accumulation of debris at the waterway.
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High-Level Briefing: President Marcos spent over 15 minutes at the site, conferring with key officials including Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Vince Dizon, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Romando Artes, MMDA General Manager Nicolas Torre III, Department of Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez, and 1st District Rep. Eric Olivarez.
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Unprecedented Rainfall: Highlighting the severity of the weather, the President noted that the rainfall over the past week reached nearly one meter—equivalent to a full month’s worth of precipitation. This volume, combined with a damaged trash trap, overwhelmed the river system. “‘Yung bumagsak na tubig in the last week is the equivalent of one month’s rainfall, almost one meter. Kaya tayo nagkakaganito, nagkakaproblema tayo ng ganito,” President Marcos stated.
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Massive Waste Removal: According to MMDA General Manager Torre, at least 45 truckloads of waste (equivalent to approximately 750 cubic meters) had already been hauled from the river as of August 11. Mechanical heavy equipment is currently expediting bulk removal.
To resolve the blockage swiftly, President Marcos directed the immediate deployment of comprehensive multi-agency resources:
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DPWH & MMDA: Deployed heavy machinery, including dump trucks, backhoes, and an inflatable rubber boat.
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Inter-Agency Support: Personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) Estero Rangers, and beneficiaries of the Department of Labor and Employment’s (DOLE) TUPAD program are actively assisting in the manual and coordinated cleanup.
The government continues to ramp up its nationwide flood mitigation framework under Oplan Kontra Baha, which focuses on large-scale dredging, declogging, and clearing operations across Metro Manila.
Current progress under the initiative includes:
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Dredging and Declogging: Completed across 32 waterways and 48 drainage systems as of June 30.
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Esteros Rehabilitation: 40 esteros successfully cleaned and rehabilitated under the Bayanihan sa Estero Program.
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Pumping Stations: All 73 MMDA pumping stations across Metro Manila remain fully operational, supplemented by mobile pumps ready for deployment in flood-prone zones.
Emphasizing that infrastructure alone cannot solve the crisis, MMDA officials and the administration have renewed calls for strict public discipline regarding proper garbage disposal. Authorities are voicing strong support for stiffer penalties against illegal dumping to protect vital waterways and drainage systems from recurring blockages during the rainy season.
