METRO

Floating trap installed at Parañaque canal

Lisa Marie Apacible · Aug 15, 2026, 10:41 PM

Estero rangers from the DPWH, MMDA, DENR and Parañaque City clear tons of garbage trapped in a drainage channel in Baclaran on 11 August 2026. The multi-agency flood-mitigation operation aims to reduce urban flooding following torrential rains brought by the southwest monsoon. Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon oversees the clearing operations.

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) has started installing a floating barrier, or floating trap, at an open canal in the Redemptorist area of Baclaran, Parañaque.

The measure aims to prevent garbage from being carried into the canal from the sea during high tide, particularly amid heavy rains brought by tropical cyclones and the southwest monsoon, or habagat.

According to the MMDA, a total of 80 meters of floating trap will be installed along the estero.

About 20 meters have already been placed at the waterway’s entrance and connected to the area near the pumping station along the creek.

The MMDA said the new floating trap is also more durable than those previously used.

Unlike the earlier steel barriers, which were connected sections, the new trap uses larger steel components with a net, making it more difficult to break apart.

Throughout the week, the MMDA, Department of Public Works and Highways and Parañaque City government worked to remove tons of garbage swept into the area by the recent storms and habagat.