ESTERO Rangers from Manila’s Department of Environment and Public Services haul sacks of garbage from the Estero de Magdalena along New Antipolo. The massive cleanup is part of the city’s ongoing campaign to prevent pollution and improve water flow in critical urban waterways ahead of the rainy season.
Photograph courtesy of Manila Public Information Office
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) will deploy its highway automated surveillance system to stop residents from dumping trash into the region’s waterways, part of an intensified campaign ahead of the imminent wet season.
MMDA general manager Nicolas Torre III said Friday that preparations for the heavier rains began months ago, but recent downpours exposed persistent vulnerabilities in the capital’s flood control systems.
“Our preparations for this rainy season started months back, but based on the first rains, we still have a lot of adjustments to make,” Torre said.
At the core of the agency’s new strategy is adapting the No-Contact Apprehension Policy, historically used for traffic enforcement on main thoroughfares, to monitor critical waterways. The goal is to keep channels clear so rainwater can flow freely into Manila Bay.
“The flooding problem is interconnected, and for that reason, the need to guard the waterways is very important,” Torre said. “It is really difficult to discipline the people.”
According to Torre, workers clear approximately 7,000 tons of garbage from local estuaries annually. Another 5,000 tons of silt and debris are extracted from pumping stations that struggle to keep up with demand, totaling roughly 12,000 tons of waste diverted to landfills each year.
Under the expanded surveillance system, individuals caught on camera throwing trash into waterways will face formal fines and charges. The MMDA plans to integrate its existing camera network with local barangay surveillance systems.
Once a violation is recorded, MMDA sanitary police and barangay personnel will hand-deliver citation tickets to the suspect’s residence.
Violators currently face fines ranging from P500 to P5,000, though Torre noted tougher measures are being considered. Caught individuals can either pay the fine or contest the citation through the agency’s adjudication office.
The agency has also widened declogging operations and deployed garbage traps in major waterways. Debris remains a critical challenge, as heavy items like discarded car tires, refrigerators, furniture and cabinets routinely cripple and paralyze vital flood-control pumping stations.
Environmental obstacles extend beyond household waste. Water hyacinths and other aquatic vegetation from Laguna de Bay continue to choke sections of the Pasig River, reducing drainage efficiency.
