Cainta steps up patrols vs riverbank encroachments

The Cainta local government has activated a river patrol team to track and document illegal structures along creeks and waterways, amid renewed scrutiny of flooding risks linked to obstructions in natural water channels.

Mayor Keith Nieto said the patrol conducts inspections twice a week, focusing on rivers, estuaries, and floodways where informal structures are often built despite long-standing prohibitions.

“The town’s river patrol conducts inspections twice a week to monitor our rivers and check for houses being built on estuaries and waterways,” Nieto said.

According to the mayor, the inspections are meant to identify structures that constrict water flow — a recurring factor blamed for flooding during heavy rains. Patrol members take photographs during each round and relay their findings to the municipality’s clearing team for possible enforcement action.

Nieto said recent patrols covered major waterways, including the Manggahan Floodway and the Bandong River, both of which pass through densely populated areas.

“Last week, they inspected the floodway. Yesterday, I had them go around Bandong River for an inspection,” he said.

While the monitoring has intensified, enforcement action has yet to begin. Nieto said demolition or removal of structures along rivers and creeks will likely resume after the Christmas season.

“I’ll just wait for Christmas to pass before I start removing houses along rivers and creeks,” he said.

Local officials have long identified illegal riverside construction as a persistent problem in Cainta and neighboring towns, where waterways double as informal settlement sites. 

During storms, these obstructions can slow water discharge and worsen flooding in low-lying communities.

The patrol initiative comes as local governments face increasing pressure to enforce easement laws and court rulings mandating the clearing of waterways. How quickly inspections translate into actual removals, however, remains to be seen.