President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. and San Miguel Corporation president and CEO Ramon Ang, shown here with DPWH officials in a file photo during the dredging operations at Balihatar Creek in Parañaque City during the launch of Oplan Kontra Baha in November. – Photo courtesy of the Office of the President
The DPWH accelerates Metro Manila waterway clearing under Marcos’s directive, expanding nationwide dredging to improve flood resilience ahead of future rainy seasons.
MANILA — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is intensifying the clearing of major waterways in Metro Manila and key provincial cities as part of continuing instructions from President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to reduce flooding and restore long-neglected drainage systems ahead of future rainy seasons.
The expanded effort follows repeated storms that have overwhelmed urban drainage networks in recent years. Officials say sustained clearing is necessary because waterways lose capacity quickly when clogged by silt, debris and illegal structures.
Expanded clearing stems from earlier launch
The ongoing campaign builds on the government’s earlier rollout of the Greater Metro Manila Waterways Clearing and Cleaning Operations, where Marcos and Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon supervised dredging at Balihatar Creek in Parañaque City. San Miguel Corporation president and CEO Ramon Ang joined the launch as SMC participated in the opening-day operations alongside national and local government agencies.
The program covers more than 140 kilometers of rivers, creeks and esteros and over 330 kilometers of drainage linesacross Metro Manila. Many of these channels had become heavily constricted after years of accumulated silt and obstructions, contributing to chronic flooding across several districts.
Focus on high-risk chokepoints
DPWH engineers are targeting specific corridors where restricted flow contributes to severe and recurring floods. Priority work includes:
• restoring depth in frequently overflowing rivers
• removing blockages in esteros constricted by encroachments
• rehabilitating drainage lines that regularly back up during intense rainfall
• improving flow toward key pumping stations
Officials say these interventions are necessary to give the capital’s drainage network a stronger chance of holding up during peak weather events.
Cleanup model now being applied nationwide
President Marcos has instructed DPWH to replicate the clearing model in other flood-prone cities and provinces. District engineers were ordered to update inventories of clogged waterways and identify immediate dredging needs. Older assessments show that many provincial rivers have not undergone significant maintenance in years, making them vulnerable during typhoons and prolonged monsoon rains.
The ongoing nationwide rollout aims to close those long-standing maintenance gaps and strengthen the country’s overall flood-mitigation capacity.
Reforms accompany the cleanup
The waterway clearing comes alongside institution-wide reforms within DPWH. As part of the administration’s oversight measures, Dizon ordered senior officials to submit courtesy resignations and said contractors found responsible for substandard flood works would be barred from future government projects.
New flood-control proposals must also undergo stricter hydrological and engineering validation before approval. Officials say these safeguards are intended to ensure that public funds are directed to effective, evidence-based solutions.
Progress tied to real-world outcomes
DPWH acknowledges that clearing and dredging alone will not eliminate flooding, but engineers say the work is essential for long-term management. The key benchmark is whether neighborhoods drain faster, major roads remain passable and communities experience fewer disruptions when the next major storm arrives.
