METRO

MMDA hauls nearly 750 tons of garbage from Parañaque waterway

Lisa Marie Apacible · Aug 15, 2026, 2:47 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 has hauled nearly 750 metric tons of garbage and debris from a waterway in Parañaque City after a broken trash trap allowed waste to accumulate in the narrow channel.

The MMDA removed 748.87 tons of waste from the Redemptorist Water Channel from Monday, 10 August, to Friday, 14 August, equivalent to about 203 truckloads, MMDA General Manager Nicolas Torre III said.

“We have collected the major bulk of trash in the channel. What remains is only the smaller waste, which should no longer accumulate,” Torre said.

Torre explained the garbage buildup followed the breakage of the channel's trash trap, allowing waste to enter the waterway before tides pushed it into the narrow channel.

“The waterway was a narrow channel. The garbage accumulated after the tides washed it off,” he said.

The collected waste will be taken to landfills in San Mateo and Rodriguez in Rizal province.

The MMDA likewise sent personnel to Manila's Dolomite Beach to clear garbage washed ashore.

Torre urged the public to avoid dumping waste in waterways, saying the recent accumulation showed the consequences of improper disposal.

“Hopefully our fellow Filipinos realize what happens if we throw our trash in places we should not dispose of. I hope we prevent these similar occurrences,” he said.