Bacoor River, also known as Mestizo River and Banalo River, is a major river system in the city of Bacoor, Cavite, Philippines. Measuring approximately in length, the river serves as a vital natural drainage channel draining floodwaters from northern Cavite into Bacoor Bay, an inlet of Manila Bay.
Course The Bacoor River originates in the inland suburban areas near Molino Road in Bacoor. It flows in a generally northwesterly direction, passing through densely populated residential and commercial areas.
As it flows towards the low-lying coastal plains, the river passes near Buhay na Tubig (along the border of Imus and Bacoor), where it is hydraulically integrated with the Imus River through the Imus–Bacoor retarding basin system, also known as Buhay na Tubig Retention Basin. Continuing downstream parallel to the Imus River, the watercourse crosses major transport corridors, including the Emilio Aguinaldo Highway near SM City Bacoor and the Panapaan Bridge.
In Barangays Mabolo II and Sineguelasan, the Bacoor River meet again with the lower channels of the Imus River before discharging into Bacoor Bay.
Hydrology and flood control
The Bacoor River basin is subject to severe seasonal flooding during the typhoon season due to rapid urbanization, heavy siltation, and low-lying coastal topography.
To solve persistent flooding along the Bacoor and Imus river corridors, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), in partnership with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), constructed a series of off-stream flood retarding basins. The entire project is poised for completion in the fourth quarter of 2021.
Retarding basins The Bacoor and Imus retarding basins are flood control facilities designed to temporarily store excess river water during periods of heavy rainfall and reduce downstream flooding. The project includes several flood mitigation components, such as surrounding and overflow dikes, drainage sluices, maintenance roads, slope protection works, and precast concrete block revetment walls constructed along the retarding basins and their associated river systems. The Bacoor Retarding Basins (Basins 1 and 2) are intended to manage overflow from the Bacoor River system, while the Imus Retarding Basin is designed to accommodate peak discharges from the Imus River before water is gradually discharged downstream.
In 2023, the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Bacoor enacted local resolutions supporting continuous river dredging, embankment protection, and easement clearing along the river banks.
Tributaries The Bacoor River network is fed by several small streams and urban drainage channels across Bacoor.
+ Tributaries of Bacoor River Name Confluence Coordinates Upstream Flow Length Notes Unnamed Stream 1 Tributary in parallel to the near origin of Bacoor River Unnamed Stream 2 Lower reach tributary Unnamed Stream 3 Mid-stream branch Daang Bukid Creek Primary named tributary; fed by a minor 64-meter urban branch Unnamed Stream 5 Drainage stream near Panapaan barangays, also crosses Aguinaldo Highway Unnamed Stream 6 Local urban branch Unnamed Stream 7 Local urban branch
See also Bacoor Bay Zapote River
References
External links Bacoor River trace on WaterwayMap