Waist-deep floodwater that once swamped parts of Las Piñas City has receded to below knee level, a shift President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. attributed on Tuesday to the government’s dredging and drainage-clearing work as he toured the area.
Speaking during his visit, which was covered by GMA News Online, the President said the lighter flooding that followed sustained rains was a sign the government’s interventions were paying off.
“Mukhang nagkaroon naman ng epekto. Hindi gan’un kalala ang pagbaha. Medyo nabawasan. Dati hanggang sa dibdib pa abot, ngayon wala pa, hindi pa, hanggang kulang pa sa tuhod ang baha,” Marcos said.
Even so, he was blunt that the problem is far from solved. “So effective naman ang ating ginagawa, ngunit alam naman natin kulang pa rin yan. Marami pa rin tayong kailangan gawin,” he added.
Much of the buildup, according to Marcos, traces back to a 12-year moratorium that suspended dredging and left rivers and spillways progressively shallower. He said the government intends to press on with dredging in coordination with local government units.
A key piece of that effort is the long-stalled Las Piñas spillway, which the President ordered reviewed and finished. He said he directed Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon to go back over the project’s plans and flag whatever needs revising or updating before construction moves forward.
Marcos also singled out mishandled garbage as a factor driving worse floods, pointing to trash that had piled up in drainage canals in Parañaque, and called on both local governments and residents to dispose of their waste properly. On the disposal side, he said the government would keep pushing its waste-to-energy program, which converts collected garbage into electricity.
Looking further out, the President said officials are studying options for capturing and managing excess water before it reaches areas prone to flooding.
