Around 30 sacks of garbage were collected at the Sunog Apog Pumping Station in Tondo, Manila, as Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Undersecretary Nick Conti and Barangay 183 Chairman Joseph Lipasana, together with local officials and partner agencies, led the parallel launch of “Oplan Kontra Baha: Gateway Metro Manila Waterways Clearing and Dredging Operation.”
Around 30 sacks of garbage were collected from the area as part of the operation.
LOOK: Pinangunahan ng DPWH ang paglulunsad ng Oplan Kontra Baha sa Estero de Sunog Apog sa Maynila | RH 29 @boy_gonzales, DZRH News pic.twitter.com/1hA2gwZALV
— DZRH NEWS (@dzrhnews) November 12, 2025
“Hindi lang po isang araw ito, tuloy-tuloy po ito… Ayon na rin kay Secretary vince Dizon at ayon sa tagubilin ng Pangulo hindi lang ito sa kalakhang Mayniala gagawin. This will not be done only in Metro Manila," Conti emphasized.
According to RH Boy Gonzales' report, Conti noted that similar operations will be conducted in Bulacan, Pampanga, Pangasinan, and in major cities in the Visayas and Mindanao, including Cebu, Bacolod, Cotabato, Davao, and Cagayan de Oro, with possible expansion to low-lying areas in Zamboanga.
Conti added that beyond clean-ups, the activity aim to implement integrated water resource management strategies, including the construction of flood control dams and impounding facilities that can help regulate water flow during heavy rains.
He further underscored the need for public cooperation and accountability in addressing the perennial flooding issue.
“Laban ng Kontra Baha ay laban po nating lahat ito. Kinakailangan ‘yung kasabihang laging naririnig na “Filipinos are resilient” huwag na po tayong maging kampante o lagi nating sasabihing resilient tayo. Dapat po naman, mag-umpisa tayo, pagbabago at magbabago galing sa ating sarili,” he noted.
According to Conti, Oplan Kontra Baha program forms part of the government’s broader Flood Control and Drainage Improvement Program, designed to enhance the capacity of Metro Manila’s water systems and safeguard communities, especially those in low-lying areas vulnerable to flooding.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. also led the activity at Balihatar Creek in Barangay San Dionisio, Parañaque City, expressing optimism that the initiative will help ease flooding in Metro Manila as well as in other flood-prone areas across the country.
