By Benjamin Cuaresma
MANILA — More than 200 truckloads of garbage have been dragged out of the Baclaran Redemptorist water channel in Parañaque City, exposing the staggering volume of waste that accumulated after days of heavy southwest monsoon rains.
The Parañaque City government said the cleanup began Monday in partnership with the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) as crews worked to clear the heavily clogged waterway.
Officials said much of the garbage and debris was pushed into the channel from Manila Bay by high tide, adding to the waste already trapped in the waterway.
Jeff Santos, team leader of the Parañaque City Environment and Natural Resources Office, described the difficult task faced by cleanup crews, who had to enter the water and pull the garbage toward the sides of the channel so backhoes could reach and remove it.
The enormous buildup of waste drew President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to the area for an inspection on Wednesday.
Marcos acknowledged that the garbage buildup was a serious problem but declined to characterize the situation as a “garbage crisis.”
He pointed to the extraordinary amount of rain recorded the previous week, saying the rainfall was equivalent to nearly a month’s worth of precipitation and reached almost one meter.
The Parañaque cleanup has also renewed calls for stricter enforcement of waste-disposal rules, particularly in communities located near waterways.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) said it was ready to assist local government units in enforcing ordinances against improper waste disposal.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. directed police commanders to support enforcement efforts and ensure that waste-management rules are followed at the local level.
Nartatez also stressed that police officers should set an example by observing proper garbage segregation and disposal.
Police commanders at precinct, station, municipal and city levels were instructed to strictly enforce regulations requiring the proper disposal and segregation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste.
As cleanup operations continue, the massive volume of garbage removed from the Baclaran waterway has placed renewed focus on the persistent waste problem confronting Metro Manila’s waterways—particularly when heavy rains and high tides combine to move debris into already vulnerable drainage channels.
ia/xf
