He told this as he inspected areas where waterways were clogged with trash following the recent Monsoon rains.
On Wednesday, August 12, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. personally inspected the ongoing clearing operations at a pumping station in Pasay City and the ongoing clearing and waste collection operations at the Baclaran River in Parañaque City.
In Pasay, the said station located across the Senate saw the accumulation of a huge volume of solid waste such as plastic, styrofoam, wood, and other debris.
Meanwhile, the latter drew attention due to the massive accumulation of garbage following heavy rains in the past few days.
He was accompanied by officials such as Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon, Department of Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, and Metropolitan Manila Development Authority Chairman Romando Artes.
According to the Chief Executive, tbr absence of adequate facilities for proper waste disposal has contributed to the worsening garbage problem in Metro Manilaand across the country.
Marcos said the accumulated garbage could immediately clog the Pasay pumping station if not regularly removed, particularly as floodwaters and high tide carry trash from Manila Bay into waterways.
“Pero makita ninyo kapag hindi natin nilinis ito, barado agad ang pumping station at ganyang karami ang pumasok na basura,” President Marcos told as he noted the ongoing operation involves clearing the water entering the pumping station and removing the garbage before it causes issue to the facility’s operation.
The President also cited the government’s waste-to-energy program as a long-term solution to the country’s growing garbage problem, particularly as existing landfills become increasingly expensive and difficult to use.
He mulled this idea during his prior inspection in Las Piñas on Tuesday, August 11.
“Nandito si Sec. Sharon ng Department of Energy dahil pinag-uusapan namin nang mabuti yung waste to energy na mga plano,” President Marcos said and furthered that the government is moving toward the auction of electricity that will be generated by waste-to-energy facilities.
The President said the government is studying the location of waste-to-energy plants to minimize the hauling costs that local government units would have to shoulder in transporting collected garbage.
“Ang ating iniisip, imbes landfill dadalhin, dadalhin sa waste to energy plant,” he stated.
The President said putting the waste-to-energy system in place would require coordination among national agencies, LGUs and private-sector groups, although the technical preparations have already been completed.
Marcos, however, shared that the government expects the new system to begin taking shape the next year as authorities finalize the locations, LGU arrangements and electricity procurement for waste-to-energy plants.
Aside from that, the President also said that the government is pursuing dredging and clearing of waterways such as canals and esteros/creeks, but stressed that these efforts could be undermined if garbage continues to enter and clog pumping stations.
“We have to go through the entire process kung saan kayang makuha ang basura bago pumasok dito sa city, bago mapunta, mabara ang ating mga pumping stations,” told PBBM.
Meanwhile, on penalties for indiscriminate garbage disposal, Marcos said imposing fines alone would not solve the problem if people do not have proper places where they can throw their waste.
“It is not useful to fine people for not throwing their garbage if there is no place to put their garbage,” the President said.
He stressed, “Kailangan bigyan din natin ng facilities na kung saan pwede itapon iyong basura.”
Hence, he deemed that the government must provide adequate garbage disposal facilities, while also enforcing existing penalties against violators.
Meanwhile, he spent 15 minutes in Baclaran, where he sid the heavy rainfall over the past week, combined with accumulated garbage and a damaged trash trap, resulted in a massive buildup of waste in the river.
“First time na nangyari rito na three days ago napuno itong Parañaque… dati hindi nangyayari ‘yan,” the President said. “‘Yung bumagsak na tubig in the last week is the equivalent of one month’s rainfall, almost one meter. Kaya tayo nagkakaganito, nagkakaproblema tayo ng ganito.”
Regarding the problem in Baclaran, the President directed the DPWH and MMDA to deploy personnel and equipment, including dump trucks, backhoes and an inflatable rubber boat.
Personnel from the Bureau of Fire Protection, Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) Estero Rangers, and beneficiaries of the Department of Labor and Employment’s TUPAD program have also been helping in the cleanup operations.
MMDA General Manager Nicolas Torre, meanwhile, disclosed that at least 45 truckloads of waste, equivalent to about 750 cubic meters, had been collected and hauled from the river as of August 11, with the timeline of cleanup still unclear as most of the cleanup is mechanically done.
In addition, the government has also intensified flood mitigation measures under Oplan Kontra Baha, which includes large-scale dredging, declogging and clearing operations throughout Metro Manila.
The MMDA has also completed the cleanup and rehabilitation of 40 esteros in Metro Manila under the Bayanihan sa Estero Program.
Currently, all 73 MMDA pumping stations across Metro Manila are operational, while mobile pumps are available for deployment to flood-prone areas as needed.
