‘Oplan Kontra Baha’ to be implemented in NCR, nearby areas
PRESIDENT Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday led the launch of Oplan Kontra Baha, a massive clearing and cleaning operation targeting heavily silted and trash-choked waterways across Greater Metro Manila to reduce chronic flooding in the capital and nearby provinces by at least 60 percent.
Speaking at the Balihatar Creek in Parañaque City, Mr. Marcos said the program, officially titled Greater Metro Manila Wa-terways Clearing and Cleaning Operations, will run for about nine months or until July next year.
“A large part of the flooding is the siltation and garbage that accumulate and cluster together so the water cannot pass,” the President said. “So, the first thing we need to do is clean all the esteros and all the spillways to ensure a smoother flow of water.
Based on studies by the former Project NOAH, the government will also expand Oplan Kontra Baha beyond Metro Manila to flood-prone areas in Bulacan, Pampanga, Cavite, Laguna, Pangasinan, Cebu, Bacolod, Davao, and Cagayan de Oro.
“We will continue to desilt, fix pumping stations, and protect watersheds upstream. Once the majority of this is done, we will feel right away in the next rainy season that flooding will be greatly reduced,” Mr. Marcos said.
The Department of Public Works and Highways will lead the operations, which the President said will now be part of the agen-cy’s annual maintenance budget to ensure continuous desilting and clearing efforts beyond the initial phase.
President Marcos also highlighted the discovery of several faulty pumping stations across Metro Manila that have worsened flooding rather than alleviate it.
“There are pumping stations that, since they were built, have never worked even once. Instead of providing a solution, these are the things that block the water,” he said.
The President lauded the partnership between the national government, local government units, and the private sector, particu-larly with business leaders Manuel Pangilinan and Ramon Ang, who volunteered to assist in the cleanup and dredging operations.
“This cannot be done by the national government alone,” President Marcos said. “The private sector, LGUs, and national agencies must work together.”
Ang — who earlier committed to help address Metro Manila’s perennial flooding — was among the first to push for the coor-dinated clean-up drive, which Mr. Marcos said will soon be replicated in other flood-prone areas such as Cebu, Bacolod, Roxas City, Bulacan, and Pampanga.
Metropolitan Manila Development Authority chairman Romando Artes said the goal of Oplan Kontra Baha is to clean 142.4 kilometers of rivers, streams, and estuaries and 333.15 kilometers of drainage systems throughout Metro Manila.
“This program forms part of a comprehensive, government-wide strategy promoted by President Marcos Jr. to address flood-ing issues and enhance disaster mitigation and urban resilience,” Artes said.
The Metro Manila Council backed the initiative.
“Through this whole-of-nation approach—uniting the national government, local governments, and the private sector to ad-dress flooding in Metro Manila—we are confident the situation will improve significantly,” MMC president and San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora said.
“Rivers, creeks, and other waterways will be dredged and cleaned as part of this sustained, collective effort for the benefit of all Metro Manila residents,” Zamora added.
