Garbage find its way to El Nido’s Secret Lagoon, exec says it came from abroad

Floating garbage ended up in the waters of the famed secret lagoon in El Nido, Palawan.

According to a "24 Oras" report by Susan Enriquez on Friday, footage of the drifting at the trash tourist destination has gone viral on social media.

El Nido municipal administrator RJ Dela Caldaza said the garbage came from other countries and made its way into the lagoon.

"Tingnan n'yo, ang mga product items na ito ay hindi galing sa Pilipinas. Kung ikaw, nagnenegosyo, bakit sirain mo ang sarili mong lugar? 'Yun nga pinapakita mo 'yung beauty ng lugar, lagyan mo ng basura?" Caldaza said.

"Every now and then naman, kapag merong dumadagsang mga basura ay nililinis naman po natin 'yan," he added.

The official speculated that companies must have dumped the trash in high seas and it somehow ended up in the Philippines.

Undersecretary Jonas Leones said Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu had instructed the regional director to create a team that would investigate the matter.

Leones cited similar occurrences in the Manila Bay, where the garbage wash ashore after heavy rainfall and severe weather.

"Just so happened na dahil sa rains, naanod 'yun. Kapareho lang siguro 'yan ng Manila Bay. Napakaraming basura 'pag mayroong bagyo o ulan. Pero dapat managot din, dapat ma-address din 'yun," Leones said. —Margaret Claire Layug/NB, GMA News