The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has hit a significant milestone in its “Oplan Kontra Baha” campaign, announcing that over 60 percent of Metro Manila’s drainage systems have now been declogged.
As the agency races to prepare the capital for future monsoon seasons, recent data shows that nearly 2,800 cubic meters of solid waste and silt have already been extracted from 48 priority flood-prone locations.
The progress report highlights significant strides across the various districts of the National Capital Region:
In the First District, which encompasses Manila and Tondo, engineering crews have successfully cleared 54.6 percent of the targeted drainage lines.
This area remains a high priority for the DPWH due to its dense population and historical vulnerability to street-level flooding during heavy afternoon downpours.
Progress is even more pronounced in Quezon City and the Second District, where declogging operations have reached a 63.7 percent completion rate.
As the largest city in the metropolis, the clearing of these secondary pipes is considered vital for preventing the overflow of major thoroughfares that often paralyze north-bound traffic during storms.
The CAMANAVA area, managed under the Third District, has seen 63.2 percent of its drainage network serviced.
Despite the persistent challenges of high tides and sinking land levels in Caloocan, Malabon, and Navotas, the DPWH noted that the current desilting pace is ahead of the original schedule for the quarter.
Finally, in the Fourth District covering the southern portions of Metro Manila, the agency reported that 62.5 percent of drainage pipes are now free of obstructions.
Officials are hopeful that this continued momentum will significantly improve water recession times in the southern suburbs, provided that the desilting of larger open waterways can keep pace with these underground improvements.
