Baclaran waterway cleared after 3-day massive cleanup
Published Aug 13, 2026 02:34 pm
The Baclaran-Redemptorist Water Channel in Parañaque City has been cleared of massive garbage buildup following a three-day cleanup operation, restoring the waterway’s capacity to carry floodwater (Photo from FB page of City Environment and Natural Resources)
The Baclaran-Redemptorist Water Channel in Parañaque City has been cleared of a massive buildup of garbage and debris following a three-day government cleanup operation that hauled a total of 690.6 metric tons of waste as of Thursday, Aug. 13.
Authorities used 188 truckloads to remove about 2,071.8 cubic meters of garbage and debris on the third day of the operation, completing the clearing of the heavily clogged waterway.
The operation was carried out by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), in coordination with the Parañaque City government and other local government units.
The clearing effort followed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s inspection of the channel on Wednesday, Aug. 12, where he ordered agencies to intensify efforts to address the massive garbage buildup.
DPWH Secretary Vince Dizon, who accompanied Marcos during the inspection, described the condition of the waterway as a “serious garbage crisis.”
Before the third day of clearing, government workers had already removed around 640 metric tons of garbage and debris, equivalent to 1,921 cubic meters, during the first two days of the operation.
On the first day, 45 trucks hauled 732 cubic meters of waste, while 72 trucks removed another 1,189 cubic meters on the second day.
Parañaque Mayor Edwin Olivarez earlier said the volume of garbage found in the channel was unprecedented and posed a serious threat to the area’s drainage system.
With the channel now cleared, authorities said its capacity to carry rainwater has been restored, reducing the risk of flooding in nearby communities during heavy rains and high tide.
The government is expected to sustain monitoring and clearing efforts to prevent another massive accumulation of garbage in the waterway.