City of San Fernando—Garbage thrown into the river will no longer be drifted to Manila Bay areas as the local government units and environmental authorities in three Central Luzon provinces set-up their respective trash traps along major rivers and tributaries.
Department of Environment and Natural Resources regional office Paquito Moreno said more than 30 tons of domestic wastes have been collected in 50 trash traps in Pampanga, Bataan, and Bulacan.
The project, Moreno said is part of the DENR3 effort to prevent garbage mostly solid waste from drifting towards Manila Bay.
“The trash traps are made of recycled materials and are strategically installed along riverways and tributaries and serve as stopper of floating garbage and prevent from being drifted downstream of Manila Bay,” said Moreno in a statement.
In Bataan, a total of seven trash traps were installed along the riverways of coastal municipalities including Hermosa, Pilar, Orani, Abucay, Orion, Limay and Mariveles. Four were set-up in Meycauayan City major riverways and tributaries while nine in Pampanga mostly concentrated in Guagua town.
“Solid wastes have been trapped reducing the volume of garbage from being drifted downstream to Manila Bay and other areas. Over 30 tons of domestic garbage have been taken out of the waterways since the trash traps have been set-up,” Moreno explained.
He appealed to residents along coastal communities to refrain from throwing domestic wastes into the river to avoid water pollution and.
“Let us practice proper waste management at home and refrain from throwing garbage in our waterways so that wildlife and other marine species which find home in our water systems may stay,” Moreno added.
The Supreme Court issued a Mandamus on Manila Bay four years ago directing the 13 government agencies to clean up, rehabilitate, preserve, and restore and maintain its water and make it fit for swimming, skin diving and other forms of contact recreations.