Metro Manila Council eyes ₱5,000 fine for improper waste disposal

The Metro Manila Council (MMC) is eyeing a uniform ₱5,000 fine for improper waste disposal across Metro Manila in an effort to curb garbage buildup that clogs drainage canals and contributes to flooding during the rainy season.

During a meeting on Tuesday, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) welcomed the proposed Garbage Single Ticketing System put forward by Las Piñas City lawmaker Mark Anthony Santos.

“We need a unified and consistent system that will make enforcement more effective while reminding our constituents that proper waste disposal is a shared responsibility,” Santos said.

Under the proposal, a ₱5,000 fine would be imposed for littering and improper waste disposal across Metro Manila local government units (LGUs), except in the Municipality of Pateros, where the penalty is set at ₱2,500.

Noncompliant offenders may also be ordered to perform community service, although full implementation of the system will depend on the enactment of corresponding local ordinances.

The proposed unified penalty system comes as Metro Manila continues to deal with garbage buildup in waterways and drainage systems following heavy rains.

For his part, MMC president and San Juan City Mayor Francis Zamora raised the proposal to develop an Integrated Drainage Master Plan for the capital region to address its persistent flooding problems.

“Flooding does not stop at city or municipal boundaries, making it necessary for us, LGUs, to work together in planning and improving drainage systems, waterways, pumping stations, and other flood-control infrastructure,” he said.

In response, the MMDA said it is in talks with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) on flood management.

“The MMDA and DPWH are already working together on this. We are continuously reviewing our flood-control and drainage systems to determine what needs to be improved and upgraded,” MMDA chairperson Don Artes said.

Following heavy rain and flooding in Metro Manila on Monday due to the southwest monsoon, or Habagat, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) intensified cleanup operations in several waterways and coastal areas in the capital region.

The DENR-NCR and environmental volunteers collected approximately 1,225 sacks of mixed solid waste from 27 sites following Monday’s downpour.— MCG, GMA News