River cleaners lament tons of garbage in Baclaran 

Authorities in Parañaque are still struggling to clear tons of trash from the Baclaran waterway following continuous heavy rains, with cleaners lamenting persistent public littering.

In a "24 Oras" report from Bea Pinlac on Wednesday, several workers tasked with cleaning the river said that they are used to the job despite the danger and the grime.

“Sinong gumawa niyan? Tayo pa rin. Walang ibang gumawa niyan kundi tayo rin,” said Josefine Salcedo, one of the cleaners.

(Who did that? It is us. No one else did that other than us.)

Armando Aquino, another cleaner, said that the trash issue is perennial.

Despite the hazards of the job, cleaner Rolando De Guzman said that he needed to work to send his kids to school.

“Siyempre galit sa mga mamamayan natin bakit ganun karami diba …dapat ilagay sa magandang itabi nila, ‘di yung ganyang tapon lang,” cleaner Alvin Bustos said.

(Of course, I’m mad at the citizens because why is it this many… they could set it aside, not just throw it haphazardly.)

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Nicolas Torre said that 500 tons of garbage have been collected from the waters. A significant number of the trash collected was plastic—a material that will not break down for generations, Torre said.

“Kailangan matanggal kasi kung hindi, mapupunta ‘yan sa pumping station. At the end of the day, mag-break down pumping station. Mapapaliit niya ‘yung capacity ng ating water channel,” Torre said.

(It needs to be removed because if not, it will go to the pumping station. At the end of the day, the pumping station will break down. It will lessen the capacity of our water channel.)

President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had also visited the site and lamented the mounds of trash that had gathered.

“Dati hindi nangyayari ‘yan eh pero dahil unang-una, ang daming basura. Nasira pa ang trash trap tapos ang dami talagang bumagsak na tubig,” Marcos said.

(This did not happen before but because, first of all, there is so much trash. The trash trap also broke and there was so much water that fell.) —Jean Mangaluz/LDF, GMA News