• RICHARD T. CABALLERO JR.
Lone District of Bacolod City Representative Alfredo Abelardo Benitez sought for the nationwide implementation of the “Oplan Kontra Baha” project, which is aimed at mitigating floods by clearing major waterways.
During the inspection of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. at Mambuloc Creek in Barangay 2, Bacolod City yesterday, Benitez said that the project he initiated was proven to be effective in mitigating flooding.
The initiative was first implemented in Metro Manila, Cebu, and Bacolod City.
“I expect that our clearing operation will take effect on the flooding issue due to the amount of sediments and garbage we cleared. As I assess, maybe the majority of the problem came from clogged water outlets,” the solon said, expressing his confidence in the effectiveness of the project.
The project aimed to clear 9 major rivers and creeks in the city, with an estimated total volume of 2,175,323.11 cubic meters in waste and debris.
Oplan Kontra Baha will end in June 2026, deploying 3,000 ‘river warriors,’ with 200 units of heavy equipment utilized from government and private sector partners.
“The flood control or flood mitigation summit—that’s what we are trying to finish—and the master plan of flood prevention. For the second phase of the summit, we assessed all the proposals, but at the end of the day, we will still decide on whatever projects will be included in the master plan,” Benitez added, hoping that it would start solving the issue of flooding in the highly urbanized city.
He said that to implement the project nationwide, there must be an executive order from the Office of the President to make the clearing of waterways a national concern.
PBBM INSPECTION
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. arrived in Bacolod City yesterday to inspect the development of the ongoing clearing operation at Mambuloc Creek in Barangay 2.
The visit is part of the ongoing Oplan Kontra Baha, a flood mitigation project initiated by Benitez, aiming to clear and rehabilitate the city’s main waterways in response to the widespread flooding caused by recent typhoons.
PBBM affirmed the claim of Benitez in an interview that the ongoing project was scientifically proven to be effective.
“We estimate that if we clear all the rivers and creeks, if we get rid of all the garbage, and if we dredge it, scientists say that it has at least a 50 to 60 percent chance to mitigate floods. That is why this program is important, and we are trying to bring it to various cities in the country,” Marcos Jr. said.
The president believes that by lessening the volume of garbage in the waterways, it can lessen the threat of flooding in the city.*
