Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez is pressing for the construction of a flood gate and pumping station as long‑term solutions to curb flooding and stop seawater and garbage from flowing back into the city’s waterways.

Olivarez said the proposed facilities would help address the recurring problem of water entering the Parañaque River from Manila Bay during high tide and bad weather.

“The flood gate and pumping stations are among the long-term solutions we are considering against flooding and the entry of garbage into our waterways from Manila Bay and nearby areas,” Olivarez said.

The proposal was discussed during an inspection of the clearing operations at the Baclaran water channel last week attended by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Don Artes, and other officials.

Olivarez said the proposed flood gate would be located between Barangays Don Galo and La Huerta and would prevent seawater and garbage from Manila Bay from entering the Parañaque River during high tide and bad weather.

“The Parañaque River does not only serve as a channel for water flowing out of our city and nearby areas. During bad weather and high tide, water also flows back into the city, causing flooding. This is where the need for a flood gate comes in,” he said.

Under the proposal, a pumping station would remove accumulated rainwater from upstream areas when heavy rains coincide with high tide and discharge it into Manila Bay. The flood gate would prevent seawater from flowing back into the river.

Olivarez also linked the flooding problem to garbage coming from upstream areas and neighboring communities.

“This garbage also comes back to us during bad weather and high tide, as happened at the Baclaran channel,” he said.

The MMDA has repaired the trash trap previously installed at the Baclaran channel after it was damaged by the large volume of garbage pushed into the waterway during the southwest monsoon and high tide.

Two additional trash traps are also being installed along the channel with assistance from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

The Baclaran water channel is an L-shaped man-made canal that begins at Manila Bay and runs inward toward the LRT-1 Redemptorist Station before turning north toward the EDSA Extension in Pasay City. It is about two kilometers long and 60 meters wide.

Earlier this month, the southwest monsoon, enhanced by tropical cyclones that passed near the country, caused Manila Bay waters to swell. Olivarez said this coincided with high tide, pushing more water and hundreds of tons of garbage from neighboring cities and provinces into the channel.

He said the proposed flood gate, pumping station, and trash traps would provide physical protection against flooding and garbage, but stressed that infrastructure alone would not solve the problem.

“The long-term solution to the garbage problem in Manila Bay and our waterways is still discipline among residents and strict enforcement of laws against illegal waste disposal, especially in cities and communities surrounding Manila Bay and upstream areas,” Olivarez said.

More than 100 cities and municipalities share the coastline and upstream areas of Manila Bay, making cooperation among local governments important in addressing the continuing problems of flooding and pollution.