Former Senator Cynthia Villar is advocating for an all-encompassing strategy to tackle flooding, emphasizing that physical infrastructure like dredging projects and pumping stations cannot solve the problem alone without structured waste management and unobstructed water pathways leading to Manila Bay.
Villar explained that garbage collection, recycling efforts, drainage maintenance, river dredging, and pumping station operations must work simultaneously to ensure rainwater flows unhindered from local communities into main waterways and eventually out to Manila Bay.
“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.”
She noted that discarded trash on public streets or dumped directly into rivers clogs esteros and drainage networks, significantly reducing their carrying capacity and compounding flood risks during severe weather events.
Through the environmental initiatives of the Villar Foundation, the former lawmaker has consistently advocated for waste reduction and recycling programs, focusing on composting organic matter, recycling plastics, and recovering paper products.
Foundation data indicates that organic waste—such as kitchen and yard refuse—comprises roughly half of typical household garbage. The foundation processes this organic material into fertilizer, distributing it at no cost to agricultural workers and urban gardeners.
Meanwhile, flexible plastics that frequently block drainage lines are retrieved and converted into school desks across three specialized recycling plants in Las Piñas, Iloilo, and Cagayan de Oro. These recycled plastic desks are provided free of charge to farm schools and educational institutions across the country.
The foundation also reclaims waste paper to create usable commodities, decreasing the total volume of refuse diverted to landfills.
In tandem with recycling efforts, Villar supports Sagip Ilog, a campaign aimed at cleaning rivers and preventing pollution from reaching key water channels. She emphasized that keeping esteros, canals, and rivers free of trash directly reinforces structural flood mitigation measures.
While dredging clears accumulated silt to increase river capacity, and pumping stations work to push out trapped water in low-lying areas during heavy rain or high tides, Villar stressed that these mechanical solutions remain insufficient if floodwaters lack an unobstructed path to discharge.