Trucks of Garbage

Could it be that the current zeitgeist in the Philippines is that pollution and littering is bad and it's high time to clean up all the trash?  The Manila Bay clean up netted 45 tons of garbage! That is both awesome and disgusting. Now other regions are getting into the spirit and cleaning up their polluted water ways.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1060906

Around 700 volunteers joined the clean-up drive on Sunday along the coast of heavily polluted Panalaron Bay and Mangon-bangon creek in this city. 

Although not all solid wastes were removed during the three-hour cleanup, organizers said they are happy with the outcome. 

“At least we’re able to raise awareness on the value of cleaning our bays and waterways. This is in support to the program of President Rodrigo Duterte to rehabilitate the polluted bodies of water,” said An Waray founder Bem Noel, one of the event organisers. 

The activity collected at least five truckloads of garbage. 

Joining the drive were the Maritime Group of the Philippine National Police, Sangyaw Foundation Incorporated, Rotary Club of Ormoc Bay, San Juanico Eagles Club, Boy Scout of the Philippines, Tau Gamma Sigma members, students of Eastern Visayas State Universities, Carigara School of Fisheries Alumni Association members, villages officials and An Waray party-list volunteers.

That is a lot of garbage. Five truck loads! Even the AFP has gotten into the spirit.

http://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1060828

Former members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters also took part in the campaign.  

“The project aims to sustain cleanliness, beautification, and sanitation in the municipalities through an active and continuing partnership among government agencies as part of the clean and green campaign of the national government,” Catu said in a statement.

Great! Even terrorists are pitching in and picking up the trash.

These beautification projects are a real testament to how polluted the waterways and highways of this country are. Hey fun fact! If all the garbage from all the waterways in the Philippines were removed then flooding would be reduced dramatically!

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/article/1752637

Garbage is still one of the reasons why Cagayan de Oro City is vulnerable to street flooding, and this was seen during the de-clogging operation in the flood-prone Villarin Street, Barangay Carmen where tons of garbage were collected. 

Not just Cagayan de Oro!

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/918666/floods-made-worse-by-garbage-ecowaste

A waste and pollution watchdog deplored on Saturday the reckless waste disposal of cities in Metro Manila which worsened the floods triggered by monsoon rains enhanced by Typhoon Gorio (international name: Nesat). 

“The rainwater will not drain fast enough to Pasig River and its tributaries if the storm drains and creeks are clogged with trash,” said Daniel Alejandre, Zero Waste Campaigner of EcoWaste Coalition. 

Alejandre pointed out that many are yet to realize how waste disposal could affect them. 

“It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to grasp the need to keep the waterways free of rubbish and debris to allow the water to freely flow and minimize flooding, but many have yet to realize what we recklessly throw on the ground or estero (creek) will come back to haunt and harm us,” he said.

Are there any rocket scientists in the Philippines? Are there any Filipinos concerned about these kind of effects garbage has on the environment or are they just happy to get rid of their garbage? Only a fool would spurn these projects.

And only a fool would rest on their laurels without instituting programs designed to instill an anti-littering mindset in the population.

There is a lot of work to be done. In fact there is so much work to be done that the Office of the President has taken over all the reclamation projects in the country. Nice to have it all centralised and streamlined right?

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1081560/palace-takes-over-all-reclamation-projects-in-the-country

The Office of the President (OP) now has direct control and supervision over the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), which has jurisdiction over 43 reclamation projects in Manila Bay alone. 

One reclamation project has been awarded to Dennis Uy, a businessman from Davao City who has close ties to President Rodrigo Duterte.  

The 265-hectare project, called Pasay Harbor City, is estimated to cost P62 billion. 

The President has issued Executive Order (EO) No. 74 delegating the power of the President to approve reclamation projects to the PRA Governing Board. 

EO 74 repealed directives that placed the PRA under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Dennis Uy? The billionaire Davao businessman and friend of Duterte whose company Misatel just happened to win the contract for the nation's third telecom which just so happens to be linked to Chinese interests? That Dennis Uy? And now he has won a contract worth P62 billion to clean up Pasay Harbor City?

Which other friends of Duterte will be receiving massive contracts for reclamation projects?

Only in the Philippines can an environmental project stink to high heaven of corruption!