By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
In the wake of a voluminous downpour that has drenched Metro Manila with almost a month’s worth of rain, concerned agencies are now hard at work in ensuring that the metropolis’ waterways have adequate capacity to handle the floodwaters being discharged through drainages across several cities.
It was through this agenda that the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) teamed up with the Parañaque City LGU to conduct clearing and waste collection operations at the Baclaran River, after it was choked by garbage that accumulated during the onslaught of the southwest monsoon (habagat)-induced rainfall.
This was after President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. dropped by the riverbank to inspect the ongoing operations along with Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon, MMDA Chairperson Romando Artes, MMDA General Manager Nicolas Torre III, Energy Secretary Sharon Garin, and Parañaque City Mayor Edwin Olivarez on Wednesday.
Apart from the equipment seen in the photo, the DPWH and MMDA also deployed dump trucks, backhoes, and an inflatable rubber boat to help accelerate the cleanup operations.
Also joining in the action were BFP personnel, DENR Estero Rangers, and DOLE’s TUPAD program beneficiaries, who served as additional manpower for the major initiative.
While there is no definite timeline for the completion of the waste removal activity, MMDA said that as of press time, a total of 1,921 cubic meters (640 metric tons) of waste and debris were extracted from the waterway and were hauled away in 117 truckloads.
PBBM calls for adequate waste disposal facilities, discipline in disposing garbage
Prior to his ocular visit to the Baclaran River, President Marcos Jr. inspected the ongoing clearing operations at a pumping station along Jose W. Diokno Avenue in Pasay City which was choked with plastic materials, styrofoam, wood, and other debris.
He told reporters during the inspection, “Pero makita ninyo kapag hindi natin nilinis ito, barado agad ang pumping station at ganyang karami ang pumasok na basura.”
This accumulated garbage could immediately clog the pumping station if not regularly removed, particularly as floodwaters and high tide carry trash from Manila Bay into waterways, thus prompting regular waste collection to keep the facility running at full capacity.
The unwelcome sight of heaps of trash strewn across the waterway prompted the President to cite the government’s waste-to-energy program as the long-term solution to the decades-old garbage dilemma.
As of press time, 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, noting the rising costs in operating and maintaining landfills across the country.
Moreover, to complement the dredging and clearing of waterways, President Marcos Jr. also called for the installation of adequate waste disposal facilities instead of relying on imposing stiff penalties for indiscriminate garbage disposal.
The Chief Executive concluded, citing discipline and sufficient facilities as the key towards addressing waste disposal issues, “It is not useful to fine people for not throwing their garbage if there is no place to put their garbage, kailangan bigyan din natin [sila] ng facilities na kung saan pwede itapon iyong basura.” (with reports from Clay Pardilla and Kenneth Paciente | PTV News)
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