Introduction
The Cagayan River, one of the Philippines’ largest and most vital waterways, was the focus of a major government initiative aimed at flood mitigation. Launched in 2021, the dredging operations were part of a broader strategy to protect communities from frequent and destructive flooding.
However, in 2023, the operations came to a halt. As confirmed by Malacañang in April 2025, the dredging project was discontinued due to what officials described as “poor market conditions” for the dredged materials. While the official reason points to economic factors, the stoppage reignites discussions on the project’s environmental and social impact—particularly on local fisherfolk and ecosystems.
Why Dredging Was Initiated
In February 2021, the Duterte administration rolled out a dredging campaign in the Cagayan River as part of a national flood-control initiative. The idea was to remove silt and sediment that had accumulated over time, which was believed to contribute to river overflow during heavy rains.
The project involved large-scale excavation of riverbeds, often carried out by Chinese contractors. Government officials at the time described the activity as a rehabilitation effort, emphasizing that a deeper and clearer river channel would help reduce the frequency and severity of flooding in surrounding areas.
Official Reason for Stoppage
In a Palace press briefing on April 8, 2025, Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro announced that dredging operations in the Cagayan River had stopped as early as 2023.
According to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regional office in Cagayan, the operations ceased mainly due to poor market conditions for the extracted dredged materials. In simple terms, the dredged sediment had little to no economic value, making the continued operations unsustainable for the private contractors involved.
Castro confirmed that dredging had been inactive for quite some time.
Backlash and Local Criticism
The dredging project was not without controversy. Even before its cessation, the initiative had drawn sharp criticism from fisherfolk organizations, particularly Pamalakaya—the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas.
The group accused the Duterte administration of allowing Chinese companies to exploit Philippine waterways under the pretense of environmental rehabilitation. Pamalakaya stated that the dredging had caused significant disruption to local fisheries, leading to a sharp decline in fish catch and affecting the livelihood of countless families.
Describing the project as a betrayal, the group claimed that fishermen were the ones bearing the brunt of the environmental consequences.
Environmental and Economic Impacts
While dredging is often essential for waterway management, its ecological consequences can be serious. The removal of sediment on a massive scale can destroy aquatic habitats, disturb breeding grounds, and introduce pollutants into the water column.
In the Cagayan River, the once-rich fishing grounds have reportedly suffered. Fish stocks have declined, water quality has been affected, and the ecosystem has been thrown off balance. These consequences, combined with the lack of long-term planning and regulation enforcement, have fueled skepticism about the project’s overall benefit.
Moreover, the economic promise of the dredging project fell short. With the materials holding little market value, private contractors lost the financial incentive to continue, revealing a potential flaw in the project’s planning and sustainability model.
What’s Next for the Cagayan River?
As dredging remains halted, the future of the Cagayan River is uncertain. There is, as of now, no clear government plan to resume or replace the dredging operations. The risk of sediment buildup and flooding remains, raising questions about how the region will handle these challenges moving forward.
What communities are calling for now is greater transparency, environmental safeguards, and local stakeholder engagement in any future river management strategy. Whether through traditional dredging or alternative flood-control methods, it’s clear that a more sustainable and inclusive approach is needed.
Conclusion
The cessation of dredging in the Cagayan River marks the end of a controversial chapter in the region’s environmental management efforts. While the project aimed to reduce flood risks, it ultimately left behind a trail of environmental damage, economic uncertainty, and community discontent.
As the nation continues to navigate the complex relationship between development and sustainability, the lessons from the Cagayan River dredging project serve as a powerful reminder: infrastructure initiatives must be planned, executed, and evaluated with both people and the planet in mind.