Marcos Inspects Cleanup of Clogged Manila Waterway

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday, August 12, 2026, inspected the massive cleanup of a waterway in Parañaque City that was choked by a shocking volume of garbage, attributing the unprecedented buildup to a damaged trash trap and extreme monsoon rainfall. The president emphasized that infrastructure improvements, not just fines, are needed to address the country's waste management challenges.

The Redemptorist Water Channel in Barangay Baclaran was clogged with a dense mass of plastic bottles, styrofoam, wood, tires, and other debris following heavy rains from the southwest monsoon, or habagat, over the weekend. The blockage restricted water flow and worsened flooding in surrounding areas. Joint clearing operations by the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, and the Parañaque city government have since made significant progress. As of Wednesday, officials reported that approximately 640 metric tons of waste had been removed over two days, with operations continuing using equipment including floating backhoes and a trash skimmer.

Marcos visited the site to assess the situation, which he described as a critical problem....