The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has spearheaded the massive cleanup of the more than eight kilometer stretch of Calumpit River in Bulacan.

This is meant to fast track the rehabilitation of Manila Bay areas in Central Luzon.

During his recent visit in the province, DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu stressed the need to haul submerged garbage in Calumpit River to prevent flooding due to clogged waterways.

“Massive cleanup operations that involve desilting and grubbing of waste materials will unclog our waterways and bring back the depth of our river system that will prevent the overflow of a great body of water especially during rainy season,” he explained.

The Calumpit River is a tributary of the larger Pampanga River, and the town itself serves as a natural catch basin for floodwaters coming from Nueva Ecija and Pampanga.

The first phase of the cleanup project will transpire in the 1.5-kilometer stretch of the Calumpit River that covers barangays of Sapang Bayan, Gatbuca, Frances, and Poblacion.

Cimatu added that clearing the Calumpit river system would likewise benefit other flood-prone towns in Bulacan such as Hagonoy, Paombong and some parts of Malolos City.

DENR Regional Executive Director Paquito Moreno Jr. shared that the bathymetric study of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region 3 showed that more than 300,000 cubic meters of garbage and silt was found in the Calumpit River, where a thick accumulation of admixed sediments was observed in the stretch along the Gatbuca Bridge.

“Garbage-free waterways will not only mitigate flooding during the onslaught of typhoons, but it will also reduce the pollution of river systems in Bulacan that directly drain to the Manila Bay,” he said.

Aside from the close coordination with local government units, DENR also partnered with GM Faustino Construction, Inc. to accelerate grubbing and hauling activities in the Calumpit-Angat River System.

The construction company would provide free utilization of its equipment and workforce to facilitate grubbing and transfer of silt materials to containment areas.

DENR has collected about 168,562 tons of wastes from more than 22,580 estero, river and coastal cleanups conducted in Bulacan, Bataan, Pampanga, Tarlac, and Nueva Ecija since the Manila Bay rehabilitation program started in 2019. (PIA 3)