Jonathan Frederic De Santos

MMDA General Manager Procopio Lipana, together with Valenzuela City Mayor Wes Gatchalian and MPTC Chief Regulatory Officer Arrey Perez, led the cleanup operations at Caingin Bridge along Caingin Road, the boundary of Valenzuela City and Meycauayan, Bulacan, on Thursday, August 7, 2025. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

Article (news)

Izzy Lee

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754548899196viber_image_2025-08-07_14-36-02-901.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">MMDA General Manager Procopio Lipana, together with Valenzuela City Mayor Wes Gatchalian and MPTC Chief Regulatory Officer Arrey Perez, led the cleanup operations at Caingin Bridge along Caingin Road, the boundary of Valenzuela City and Meycauayan, Bulacan, on Thursday, August 7, 2025. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and Valenzuela City government conducted cleanup operations on the Meycauayan River on Thursday as part of the Bayanihan sa Estero program to clear waterways of trash and silt and prevent flooding.</p><p>The cleanup, done with backhoes mounted on barges, was carried out in Barangay Caingin on the boundary of Valenzuela City and Meycauayan, Bulacan.</p><p>&quot;Malaki ang maitutulong niya sapagkat alam naman natin na pag nabarahan dito &#x27;yung tubig, maiipit at magko-cause ng flooding sa [North Luzon Expressway]. Hindi lang NLEX, kundi sa iba pang parte ng Metro Manila,&quot; MMDA General Manager Procopio Lipana, who oversaw the operation, said.</p><p>(This will be a big help because, as we know, if this gets clogged, the water overflows and causes flooding on the North Luzon Expressway and other parts of Metro Manila)</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/7/28/over-6-million-filipinos-affected-by-habagat-tropical-cyclones-ndrrmc-1338"><strong>Over 6 million Filipinos affected by habagat, tropical cyclones – NDRRMC</strong></a></div><p>Valenzuela City Mayor Wes Gatchalian explained that the site has long been a problem area that the city government has been monitoring. He said the city had been conducting cleanup operations since June.</p><p>&quot;Nai-involve po ang Valenzuela dito sa clean-up drive natin dahil dito nagba-bottleneck, nagcho-choke ang basura matagal na po,&quot; he added.</p><p>(Valenzuela got involved because this area is where trash ends up and chokes the river)</p><p>He said the city has to conduct regular cleanups because of the factories and informal settlers along the river.</p><div><br/></div><div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/1754548778936viber_image_2025-08-07_14-36-23-344.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">MMDA General Manager Procopio Lipana, together with Valenzuela City Mayor Wes Gatchalian and MPTC Chief Regulatory Officer Arrey Perez, led the cleanup operations at Caingin Bridge along Caingin Road, the boundary of Valenzuela City and Meycauayan, Bulacan, on Thursday, August 7, 2025. <em>Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News</em></span></span></span></div><p>According to city data, 8,100 cubic meters of waste and water lilies have already been collected — equivalent to 450 truckloads from just this single site. However, the cleanup is far from over.</p><p>The ongoing operation targets the removal of 6,600 cubic meters of waste. Officials expect the river to be cleared within two weeks in anticipation of typhoons.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2025/8/2/marcos-jr-launches-program-to-clean-up-metro-manila-s-esteros-1550"><strong>Marcos Jr. launches program to clean up Metro Manila&#x27;s esteros</strong></a></div><p>Regular maintenance will continue, and local officials are urging nearby establishments to practice proper waste disposal.</p><div><br/></div><div><strong>NLEX TO PUT UP DETENTION POND</strong></div><p>NLEX Corp., which manages the expressway, is also taking steps to address flooding, which contribute to heavy traffic.</p><p>&quot;Nakita naman natin &#x27;yung epekto sa NLEX na napakahabang traffic ang nangyari dahil sa baha na &#x27;yan, kaya kami nagtulong-tulong na with governement,&quot; NLEX Chief Regulatory Officer Arrey Perez.</p><p>He said that beyond creek cleanups, they are laying out long-term solutions like a cistern that can hold as much water as eight Olympic-size swimming pools.</p><p>&quot;Gagawa po kami para lalo pang mapaghandaan ‘yung mga bugso ng ganitong klaseng ulan na maraming dalang tubig,&quot; he said.</p><p>(We will put up one of those so we will be ready for these kinds of rains that bring a lot of water)</p><p>Perez said the model is inspired by the detention pond system used in Bonifacio Global City, but with greater capacity to adapt to climate change impacts.</p><p>The project is targeted for completion within three years.</p><p>&quot;We have bigger capacity now dahil may climate change at malaki na po ang epekto nito sa expressways natin (because of climate change that has a great effect on our expressways),&quot; he said.</p>

<p>The ongoing operation targets the removal of 6,600 cubic meters of waste. Officials expect the river to be cleared within two weeks in anticipation of typhoons.</p>

The ongoing operation targets the removal of 6,600 cubic meters of waste. Officials expect the river to be cleared within two weeks in anticipation of typhoons.

MMDA, Valenzuela clean up Meycauayan River to prevent flooding on NLEX

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MMDA, Valenzuela clean up Meycauayan River to prevent flooding on NLEX

Izzy Lee,

ABS-CBN News

Published Aug 07, 2025 02:55 PM PHT

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Updated Aug 07, 2025 03:01 PM PHT

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Valenzuela City

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority

North Luzon Expressway

Flooding

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