60 percent of trash in Pasig River, other waters comes from domestic waste

Sixty percent of garbage dumped in Pasig River and other bodies of water were domestic waste.

A Balitanghali report by Emil Sumangil on Tuesday showed that informal settlers residing near Pasig River and Manila Bay have used the waters as their comfort rooms. Unfortunately, they do not have restrooms in their homes.

"Mas marami pa raw bahay ang mayrong cellphone kaysa sa mga bahay na may gumaganang toilet," said Jaime Joey Medina, general manager of the Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), citing a study of the World Health Organization.

"Kung hindi ho natin magagawan ng programa, 'yun pong sanidad ng mga bahay... ay siyempre ho 'pag walang banyo, sa'n pupunta 'yung mga dumi niyan?" Medina added.

Due to the problem in waste, the relocation of informal settlers near rivers will push through. The government is targeting to provide 16,000 housing units by 2019.

"Hindi ho gano'n kadali dahil 'yung ibang mga kabahayan na ginagawa ng NHA (National Housing Authority), hindi pa po siya tapos," said Jose Antonio Goitia, executive director of the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission.

Aside from the informal settlers, authorities are also monitoring two residential towers as there were reports that they also dumped their trash in rivers.

"Kung nakuhanan natin sila ng waste water sample at bumagsak, aside from the P10,000 per day na penalty, ina-assess sila doon sa volume at concentration ng kanilang pollutants," said Emiterio Hernandez, chief of the Environmental Regulation Division of Water Waste. —Anna Felicia Bajo/KG, GMA News