Villar: Give Floodwaters a Clear Path to Manila Bay

LAS PIÑAS CITY-Flood control is not just about building bigger pumping stations or dredging rivers. It also starts with something as simple as proper garbage collection and keeping drainage systems clear.

For former Senator Cynthia A. Villar, all these efforts must work together to make sure rainwater can move safely from communities, through drainage systems and rivers, and eventually out to Manila Bay.

Garbage left on streets or dumped into waterways can clog drainage systems, esteros and rivers. When this happens, even heavy rains that could otherwise drain properly can quickly lead to flooding.

This is why proper garbage collection, waste recycling and responsible disposal are important parts of flood prevention.

From Garbage Collection to the River
The fight against flooding begins in the community.

For Villar, keeping waterways clear also means addressing the problem at its source: the garbage that can end up in drainage systems, esteros and rivers.

Through the Villar Foundation’s environmental programs, communities are encouraged not only to collect waste but also to reduce, reuse and recycle.

The Foundation’s initiatives include kitchen and garden waste composting, plastic recycling, and paper recovery. Organic waste, particularly kitchen and garden waste, which accounts for about 50% of community garbage, is processed into organic fertilizer and distributed free of charge to farmers and urban gardeners.

Meanwhile, discarded soft plastics that usually clog waterways are collected and turned into school chairs through the Foundation’s three recycling factories-one in Las Piñas for Luzon, one in Iloilo for the Visayas, and one in Cagayan de Oro for Mindanao. These recycled chairs are distributed to schools and farm schools all over the country for free.

Paper is collected and recycled into useful and productive materials, helping reduce the amount of waste sent to landfills.

These programs support a simple but important principle: waste that is properly managed is waste that is less likely to end up in our waterways.

When garbage is kept out of drainage canals and rivers, water can flow more freely. This complements other flood-control measures such as drainage cleaning, river dredging and pumping stations.

For Villar, environmental protection and flood prevention therefore go hand in hand.

Through Sagip Ilog and the Villar Foundation’s waste-management and recycling initiatives, the goal is not only to clean waterways after they become polluted, but also to encourage communities to prevent waste from reaching them in the first place.

River dredging can further improve the capacity of waterways by removing accumulated silt, garbage and other obstructions.

Pumping stations provide another layer of protection, particularly in low-lying communities. When rainfall is heavy or the tide is high and water cannot drain as quickly as it should, pumps help move excess water toward rivers and, eventually, Manila Bay.

But as Villar points out, these flood-control efforts have to work together.

It is not enough to collect garbage, clean the drainage system, dredge rivers or build pumping stations. The water still needs a clear and open path to where it is supposed to go.

And this is where the concern over Manila Bay reclamation comes in.

If reclamation changes or restricts the natural pathways where rivers discharge into the bay, it could affect how well the entire flood-control system works.

In simple terms: we need to keep garbage out, keep drains and rivers clear, move water efficiently-and make sure there is still somewhere for the water to go.

Where Will the Water Go?
In southern Metro Manila, water from communities and tributaries eventually flows through waterways such as the Molino, Zapote, Las Piñas and Parañaque rivers before reaching Manila Bay.

Villar has warned that reclamation could potentially restrict these natural pathways and affect the ability of rivers to discharge water into the bay.

“Simula pa noong 2010, lumalaban na kami sa reclamation kasi ayaw po naming bumaha ang lugar namin,” Villar said in 2023.

She has also called for more comprehensive studies on the cumulative effects of reclamation, particularly in areas already vulnerable to flooding.

For Villar, flood mitigation should therefore be viewed from the drainage system all the way to the coast.

“Dredging the rivers, waste recycling,improving drainage and building pumping stations are important,” she said. “But we also have to make sure that the water has somewhere to go.”

Protecting the Wetland Means Protecting Communities
The connection between flooding, coastal protection and Manila Bay reclamation is especially important in the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park (LPPWP).

The LPPWP is a protected area under Republic Act No. 11038, or the Expanded National Integrated Protected Areas System (E-NIPAS) Act of 2018. Covering about 181 hectares, it is also recognized as a wetland of international importance under the Ramsar Convention.

The wetland and its mangroves do more than provide a home for wildlife. They also help protect nearby communities from storm surges and support the natural movement of water along the coast.

This is why reclamation needs to be carefully studied.

Rivers, drainage systems, wetlands and Manila Bay are all connected. When the coastline is changed, it could affect how water moves from rivers toward the bay and how coastal areas respond to high tides and storm surges.

For Villar, protecting the LPPWP is therefore also part of protecting communities from flooding.

The goal is simple: improve our rivers and drainage systems, strengthen flood-control measures, but also protect the natural coastal areas that help manage water.

Communities and Fisherfolk Also at Stake
Flooding is not Villar’s only concern.

She has also pointed to the potential impact of reclamation on coastal communities and fisherfolk whose livelihoods depend on Manila Bay.

In her 2024 statement, Villar warned that reclamation could affect fisherfolk in Las Piñas, Parañaque and Cavite and potentially affect the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park, an important coastal wetland and fish-spawning area.

For these communities, changes to the coastal environment could have implications not only for flood risks but also for fishing grounds, aquatic habitats and livelihoods.

This is why Villar believes the discussion on reclamation should go beyond the amount of land that can be created or the economic activity that may result.

The more fundamental question, she said, is whether proposed developments will make surrounding communities safer or more vulnerable.

An Integrated Approach to Flood Mitigation
Villar continues to advocate an integrated approach to flood management-from proper garbage collection and clean drainage systems to the maintenance and dredging of rivers and the operation of pumping stations during heavy rains.

Equally important is ensuring that floodwaters have a clear and safe pathway to Manila Bay while protecting the bay’s coastal wetlands, which provide natural protection and biodiversity for communities.

For Villar, flood-control measures must work together: keep waterways free of garbage, maintain drainage and rivers, strengthen flood-control infrastructure, and protect wetlands.

As rainfall and coastal flooding risks increase, decisions affecting Manila Bay should be guided by science, environmental assessments, and the long-term safety of communities. The protected status of the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park also requires development to respect areas legally designated for conservation.

Ultimately, flood mitigation is not simply about moving water faster. It is about keeping water pathways open while preserving the natural areas that help protect communities.