MANILA, Philippines — Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon on Tuesday described the country’s worsening waste problem as a “garbage crisis,” as he called for a comprehensive master plan to address the issue once and for all.
Dizon issued the statement after inspecting a large accumulation of garbage in a drainage channel in Parañaque City, which he said appeared to have been carried and scattered by the high tide the previous day.
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) chief said the site was clear when he passed by on Sunday but the volume of garbage had significantly increased by Monday.
Dizon said Parañaque officials told him that it was the first time such a large amount of garbage had accumulated in the area.
“It was indeed a garbage crisis,” Dizon said, stressing the need for a decisive and long-term solution to the country’s waste problem.
He said the accumulation of garbage in waterways was among the major factors contributing to the clogging of drainage systems, canals and esteros, particularly during periods of heavy rain and high tides.
Dizon said the DPWH and other government agencies had been removing large volumes of garbage from waterways as part of the government’s cleanup operations, but the problem quickly returns.
He cited information from DPWH Undersecretary Charles Kalima, who is overseeing the cleanup operations, that waterways could be cleared one day only to become filled with garbage again the following day.
“When we clean one day, the next day, it’s full again,” Dizon said, describing the problem as a continuing cycle.
He said the situation becomes more difficult when storms raise water levels in Manila Bay, overwhelming drainage and waterway systems already burdened by accumulated waste.
The top DPWH official said government resources in Metro Manila had been mobilized to deal with the garbage buildup, including personnel and equipment from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority and local government units.
At the same time, Dizon appealed to local governments and the public to exercise greater discipline in disposing of their waste.
But he said individual discipline and recurring cleanup operations would not be enough to solve the problem.
Dizon called for the development of an overall master plan that would address the country’s garbage problem in a comprehensive and long-term manner.
“We have to fix this now,” he said, warning that the volume of waste would continue to increase if the government failed to address the problem decisively.
He said the country could no longer afford to allow the garbage problem to persist for decades through repeated cleanup efforts without a permanent solution.
