LIVE: Malacañang holds press briefing with PCO Usec. Claire Castro | August 20, 2026

Malacañang presented the intensified "Oplan Kontra-Baha" under the Marcos administration, with Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Undersecretary Claire Castro reporting strict directives to investigate and expedite the identification of sites for new rainwater catchment systems in Metro Manila. The briefing also highlighted President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s orders to accelerate de-clogging operations and modernize affected drainage facilities, including the Tripa de Gallina and Talayan Creek pumping stations. In addition, the briefing addressed high-profile national issues, including the Palace's warning against the sudden recantation of Senate witness Orly Goteza to prevent the spread of false testimony aimed at destabilizing the country. Discussions further covered funding allocations for the proposed Ligtas Pinoy Evacuation Centers, penalties for large corporations non-compliant with waste recovery under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Law, and responses to poverty and hunger statistics from recent SWS and OCTA Research surveys. Chapters: 00:00 – Intro 00:17 – Start of Malacañang Press Briefing (Usec. Claire Castro) 00:30 – Marcos Jr. orders additional flood control solutions and facilities 05:00 – Clearing operations and de-clogging of estuaries (esteros), Talayan Creek, and drainage systems 06:46 – Start of Media Q&A Portion 06:56 – Senate witness Orly Goteza recants testimony on alleged corruption 09:12 – DBM NEP 2027 allocation for "Ligtas Pinoy Centers" (Evacuation Centers) 13:28 – Response to criticisms of slow or ineffective past flood control spending 16:19 – DENR campaign and enforcement policies under the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) Law 20:53 – Reports and challenges from SWS/OCTA surveys on hunger and poverty in the Philippines 23:06 – Palace on "fabricated stories": False witness allegedly trying to undermine the government 28:14 – Marcos Jr. inspects retrofitting progress at the Tripa de Gallina Pumping Station in Pasay 31:07 – Palace announces 39 priority sites for Rainwater Catchment Systems in Metro Manila Subscribe to iWant to watch ANC live and on-demand: https://www.iwanttfc.com For more ANC Interviews, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLm34qRgqWBU4AT2G3LWF27_RErcz0GVd9 For more ANC Highlights videos, click the link below: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLm34qRgqWBU4cKXctfaRZsLEHahqOc9dQ Subscribe to the ANC YouTube channel! https://www.youtube.com/user/ANCalerts Visit our website at https://news.abs-cbn.com/anc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ancalerts Twitter: https://twitter.com/ancalerts #PBBM #FloodControlPH #NewsPH #Balita #OrlyGoteza #SenatePH #ANCHighlights #ANCAlerts #ANCNews #ABSCBNNews #NewsDigital #LatestNews #PhilippineNews