(UPDATE) MANILA, Philiippines — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) is mounting a broad emergency response to infrastructure and flooding threats, citing a damaged EDSA Magallanes Flyover in Makati City and clogged waterways that triggered flooding in parts of Metro Manila.
Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said on Thursday that DPWH teams moved quickly after receiving reports of falling debris from the southbound Magallanes Flyover, prompting an immediate inspection of the structure.
According to Dizon, the inspection found that several critical components of the flyover’s expansion joints had been stolen, compromising portions of the structure and causing debris to fall from the elevated roadway.
The agency, he added, immediately installed safety nets and temporary steel plates over the affected portions to protect motorists and pedestrians from falling debris while preventing further deterioration of the damaged sections.
Temporary works are underway, with major repair operations scheduled from Aug. 21 to 23, 2026.
Dizon said the DPWH would work to complete the repairs within the target schedule and urged motorists to exercise caution and cooperate with traffic and safety measures that may be implemented around the work area. They were also encouraged to take alternate routes when possible.
The theft adds another layer of concern to the maintenance and security of vital transport infrastructure in Metro Manila, where major flyovers and bridges carry thousands of vehicles daily and any structural problem can quickly become both a safety and traffic-management issue.
The public works department has coordinated with the police in a bid to identify and, possibly, arrest those behind the theft.
But the Magallanes repair is only one part of the DPWH’s intensified response as the rainy season continues to test the country’s drainage and flood-control systems.
In Quezon City, DPWH crew cleared accumulated garbage from Talayan Creek, restoring the waterway’s flow after heavy and continuous rains caused flooding along portions of G. Araneta Avenue.
The clearing operation was carried out in line with President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s directive to keep creeks, esteros, canals and rivers free of obstructions so floodwaters can drain more rapidly from low-lying and flood-prone communities.
The intervention comes as the administration continues to push Oplan Kontra Baha, a nationwide flood-mitigation campaign centered on waterway clearing, dredging and desilting, drainage rehabilitation and other measures intended to improve the movement of stormwater.
The program was launched after the government identified clogged and heavily silted waterways as major contributors to flooding. President Marcos has repeatedly stressed that clearing operations must be sustained rather than treated as one-time interventions.
The urgency has been underscored by recent flooding episodes in Metro Manila. In July, the Presidential Communications Office reported that several historically flood-prone areas, including G. Araneta Avenue, experienced little to no flooding after heavy rains following drainage improvements, dredging and pumping-station interventions.
