‘Badge of dishonor’
HISTORIC Pasig River, which connects sun-kissed Manila Bay and Laguna de Bay, is a vital waterway since it provides food, livelihood and transport to millions of Filipinos.
But today, it is certainly disheartening and saddening to know that the 27-kilometer long river has been named the world’s most polluting river when it comes to plastic waste.
Passing through the heavily-populated and flood-prone Metropolitan Manila area, the Pasig River’s major tributaries are the Marikina and San Juan Rivers.
Apart from Pasig River, 18 other Philippine rivers are included in the roster of the top 50 plastic waste carriers in the world.
These are the Tullahan, Meycauayan, Pampanga, Limbanan, Rio Grande de Mindanao, Agno, Agusan, Paranaque, Iloilo, Imus, Zapote, Cagayan de Oro, Davao, Malaking Tubig, Tambo-Pasay (Storm Drain), Jalaur, Cagayan and Hamulauon Rivers.
“That’s not something that we should be proud of,” said Presidential Spokesman Harry Roque, a lawyer, said in a virtual presser on Thursday when sought for reaction.
Roque was reacting to a scientific study released by the Rotterdam, Netherlands-based Ocean Cleanup, which identified the river as the world’s top plastic-emitting river.
But he expressed optimism that with this “badge of dishonor, baka po maging radical din ang mga hakbang na gagawin ng ating gobyerno para malinis na…ang Pasig River na yan.”
Doubtless, it’s time to step up the pressure on barangay and local government authorities to prevent people from transforming Pasig River into a huge dumpsite.
They have the legal responsibility to do so, while the ordinary citizens have the moral responsibility to help the government in preventing floods not only in the metropolis but elsewhere.
Ang mga nakabarang basura, kasama na ang mga plastic, ang dahilan kung bakit madaling umapaw ang mga daluyan ng tubig pagkatapos ng isang malakas na pag-ulan.
