President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. on Wednesday declared the country’s waste problem to be at a “critical” level after tons of garbage clogged Metro Manila waterways and pumping stations during heavy rains fueled by the enhanced southwest monsoon (Habagat).
Inspecting ongoing clearing operations at the Diokno Pumping Station in Pasay City and the Redemptorist Water Channel in Baclaran, Parañaque, Marcos surveyed mountains of hauled trash that had obstructed flood control infrastructure.
When asked if the situation amounted to a crisis, a term recently used by Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, Marcos acknowledged the severity of the issue.
“Yeah, it certainly is. Just look at it, does (it) not look critical to you? It does to me. So, yes, I wouldn’t call it a garbage crisis but that is the problem that we are facing,” Marcos said.
Addressing calls for stricter fines against littering, the President emphasized that penalizing citizens without giving them adequate infrastructure is ineffective.
“It’s not useful to fine people for not throwing their garbage if there is no place to put their garbage. Of course people are aware that there are fines. Wala naman gustong mamumultahan,” Marcos noted. “Pero kailangan bigyan din natin ng facilities kung saan pwede itapon ang basura. Ganun lang ka simple kung minsan. Minsan ganun lang kasimple ang problema.”
As a long-term solution, Marcos reaffirmed plans to develop waste-to-energy plants in coordination with local government units. He noted that the Department of Energy will hold an auction in the coming months to determine how much power the national grid can source from converted waste.
“So, it’s a new system that we really have to start putting in place. Maybe we will begin to see it in a year, a year and a half. We’ll push it as quickly as we can, certainly,” Marcos added.
In the interim, the President ordered the Department of Public Works and Highways and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority to mobilize extra personnel, dump trucks, backhoes and inflatable boats to accelerate waterway dredging. Cleanup teams currently include DENR Estero Rangers, Bureau of Fire Protection personnel and DOLE TUPAD beneficiaries.