The local government of Cainta, Rizal, has deployed a river patrol team to closely monitor illegal structures built along creeks and other waterways.

Mayor Keith Nieto said the river patrol team conducts inspections twice a week to ensure that no illegal structures are built on waterways, which are a primary cause of flooding as they obstruct the flow of water.

“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.

During inspections, the river patrol team also takes photos and sends them to the clearing team so they can take action if any violations are found.

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

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

Aside from clearing waterways of illegal structures, the local government has also dredged and removed silt near Buli Creek, including water lilies, which block the natural flow of the creek and other waterways.

A portion of the collected water lilies will be sent to the municipality’s materials recovery facility to produce bags made from water lilies, while the excess materials from the livelihood project will be hauled away and used as backfill for the planned recreational area at the town’s esplanade.

Aside from prohibiting the construction of illegal structures, residents who dispose of garbage in the river are also being monitored.

Nieto said the local government is continuously demolishing structures encroaching on creeks and rivers.

To mitigate flooding in the town, the local government has installed booster pumps, which help push water out of the floodway in case of a typhoon. It has also built underground tanks, or cisterns, as big as a basketball court, which serve as “catchment basins” for excess water during heavy rains.