Press Release
January 18, 2023

JICA cites Sen. Villar for her clean-up projects; brings new tech to Las Pinas to clean rivers and mitigate disasters impact

ACKNOWLEDGING the initiatives of Sen. Cynthia A. Villar in cleaning the Las Piñas-Zapote River and waterways in Las Piñas City, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had chosen the city for its pilot-test of Kochi Marutaka's floating amphibious excavator.

A jubilant Villar noted this Japanese technology which is new to Las Pinas City, can do extensive dredging while floating in shallow waters of the river due to its remarkable buoyancy.

"There is no doubt that you have chosen well. In Las Piñas, under my guidance, we are serious and very persistent in our river clean-up and rehabilitation," said Villar, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.

The senator, along with her daughter, Deputy Speaker Camille Villar, joined JICA Rep. Takuya Hashizume, DPWH- NCR Director Loreta Malaluan and DPWH-Bureau of Equipment Dir. Toribio Noel Ilao and Las Piñas- Muntinlupa District Engr. Isabelo Baleros, in the launching of JICA's Verification Survey for the "Utilization of Floating Amphibious Excavator for the Construction Works On Disaster Management and Disaster Restoration in the Philippines."

The project brief was given by Mr. Toru Asakura of CTI Engineering International Co., Ltd. and Mr. Hiroshige Takano , chairman of Kochi Marutaka Corporation, while Ms. Mikako Shimizu from JICA Philippine office and Mr.Tomohiro Matsubara from the Embassy of Japan in the Philippines gave their keynote speeches during the launch.

"I welcome events like this that cultivate solutions to the challenges we face to tackle disasters and mitigate its effects. As you know, the Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries to disasters, it is frequented by around 20 typhoons per year, " related Villar.

She also pointed out the use of a floating amphibious excavator is also very much in consonance with her lifelong advocacies of cleaning our city's rivers and waterways and of efficient waste management.

Prior to the project, the Japanese group approached the Las Pinas city government, seeing the efforts of Sen. Villar in cleaning the Las Piñas- Zapote River which bagged an international environment award given by the United Nations.

The initiative to clean the said river and rid it of waterlilies that triggered floodings was under the so-called "Sagip Ilog Para Sa Kinabukasan."

Villar related they started dredging the rivers with the use of backhoe put on top of barge, which was then the technology available to us.

"We have started cleaning our rivers almost 30 years ago and we are still very much into it. While we have been successful in our river rehabilitation, we realize that to maintain the cleanliness of the rivers, it should be an everyday effort," she also said.

To encourage many to remove the solid wastes found in our rivers, she established livelihood potentials out of the garbage.

" And so we developed handicrafts out of the waterlilies that proliferate our rivers, we also found use for the many discarded coconut husks that were thrown out to the rivers, and we also learned the practice of composting our kitchen and garden wastes," she said.

Through the years, along with Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance or Villar SIPAG, they built barangay-based livelihood enterprises that are models of proper waste management and good examples of how garbage can be turned into useful end-products.


JICA, kinilala si Sen. VIllar sa kanyang clean-up projects; nagbigay ng bagong teknolohiya sa Las Pinas para linisin ang mga ilog at mabawasan ang pinsala ng mga kalamidad.

SA pagkilala sa mga pagsisikap ni Sen. Cynthia A. Villar na linisin ang Las Pinas-Zapote River at mga daluyan ng tubig sa Las Piñas City, pinili ng Japan Internarional Cooperation Agency (JICA) ang siyudad sa kanilang pilot-test ng floating amphibious excavator ng Kochi Marutaka.

Sinabi ni Villar na kakayanin ng Japanese technology na na ito na bago sa Las Piñas Cityang malawak na 'dredging' (pagkalaykay) habang lumulutang sa mababaw na tubig.

"There is no doubt that you have chosen well. In Las Piñas, under my guidance, we are serious and very persistent in our river clean-up and rehabilitation," ani Villar, chairperson ng Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources.

Kasama ng senador at kanyang anak , Deputy Speaker Camille Villar sina JICA Rep. Takuya Hashizume, DPWH- NCR Director Loreta Malaluan at DPWH-Bureau of Equipment Dir. Toribio Noel Ilao at Las Pinas- Muntinlupa District Engr. Isabelo Baleros sa paglulunsad ng JICA's Verification Survey sa "Utilization of Floating Amphibious Excavator for the Construction Works On Disaster Management and Disaster Restoration in the Philippines."

Ibinigay ang project brief nina Mr. Toru Asakura of CTI Engineering International Co., Ltd. at Mr. Hiroshige Takano , chairman ng Kochi Marutaka Corporation, habang si Ms. Mikako Shimizu mula sa JICA Philippine office at Mr. Tomohiro Matsubara mula sa Embassy ng Japan sa Pilipinas ay nagbigay ng kanilang mga keynotes speeches sa nasabing paglulunsad.

"I welcome events like this that cultivate solutions to the challenges we face to tackle disasters and mitigate its effects. As you know, the Philippines is one of the most vulnerable countries to disasters, it is frequented by around 20 typhoons per year, " ayon kay Villar.

Binigyan diin niya na ang paggamit ng floating amphibious excavator ay naayon sa kayang adbokasiya na linisin ang ating mga ilog at daluyan ng tubig at ipatupad ang epektibong waste management.

Lumapit ang Japanese group sa Las Pinas city government nang makita ang purisigdong paglilinis ni Sen. Villar sa Las Pinas- Zapote River na nagwagi ng international environment award mula sa United Nations.

Nasa ilalim ng "Sagip Ilog Para Sa Kinabukasan" ang inisiyatibo na linisin ang ilog at tanggalin ang waterlilies na nagdudulot ng matinding baha.

Ipinahayag ni Villar na nagsimula sila sa dredging ng ilog gamit ang backhoe na sa ibabaw ng barge. Ito ang kanilang teknolohiya ng mga panahong iyon.

"We have started cleaning our rivers almost 30 years ago and we are still very much into it. While we have been successful in our river rehabilitation, we realize that to maintain the cleanliness of the rivers, it should be an everyday effort," sabi pa niya.

Upang maenggayo ang marami na tanggalin ang solid wastes sa mga ilog, nagtayo ang senador ng pangkabuhayan mula sa basura.

" And so we developed handicrafts out of the waterlilies that proliferate our rivers, we also found use for the many discarded coconut husks that were thrown out to the rivers, and we also learned the practice of composting our kitchen and garden wastes," ani Villar.

Kasama ang Villar Social Institute for Poverty Alleviation and Governance (Villar SIPAG), itinayo nila ang barangay-based livelihood enterprises na modelo ng wastong waste management at magandang halimbawa kung paano gawing kapaki-pakinabang ang mga basura.

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