By ANALOU DE VERA
Regular cleanup in Manila Bay will continue until the end of September, in an effort to reduce the tons of garbage being washed up in the area, assured Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada.
Citing a report from Task Force Manila Cleanup head Che Borromeo, Estrada said they are expecting tons of garbage to accumulate in the Baywalk area due to heavy downpour almost every day.
“This is because all the garbage from other coastal cities and provinces end up in Manila Bay, especially when it rains. Tatambak pa ‘yan dahil sa habagat until end of September,” Estrada explained.
According to Borromeo, at least two truckloads of garbage are being collected a day. Last weekend, Task Force Manila Cleanup personnel collected up to 19 truckloads of trash, he added.
“Lahat ng basura galing sa ibang lugar – Cavite, Bataan, and other coastal cities nearby. Dito lahat ang bagsak sa atin. Manila is the catch basin of all these garbage,” Borromeo lamented.
Borromeo said that huge amount of trash will continue to wash up along the bay until September ends, particularly when another weather disturbance hits Metro Manila.
“We’re monitoring the weather daily so that we would know whether to deploy more personnel and equipment to do cleanup and garbage collection along the shores of Manila Bay,” Borromeo said.
Estrada, meanwhile, is scheduled to lead a cleanup drive in Manila Bay on Sept. 16 in observance of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day, the world’s largest annual preservation and protection event and volunteer effort for beaches and waterways.