PCG: Tributaries main contributor to Pasig River pollution

MANILA, Philippines — An official of the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) yesterday said the tributaries connecting Metro Manila cities are the main contributor to the pollution of Pasig River.

Michael John Encina, Coast Guard Station Malacañang chief, said during the PCG-PCGA Forum in Makati that their personnel collect more garbage from the tributaries.

“It is not the residents of Manila who are the number one culprit of the pollution of the Pasig River. To be fairly honest with you, not those areas adjacent to the riverbanks of the Pasig River are the challenge for us. It is the tributaries,” Encina said.

“The end point of the tributaries is the Pasig River. These (tributaries) include those from San Juan, Quezon City, Marikina and other esteros,” he added.

Encina noted that the PCG established substations to monitor the dumping of wastes in the Pasig River.

“We have a Coast Guard substation in San Juan. We also have substations in Marikina, Makati and Mandaluyong just to protect the Pasig River,” he said.

As part of the campaign for marine environmental protection, Encina said the PCG launched the iCare Program, which is aimed at conducting weekly cleanup of the Pasig River.

“It does not only aim to clean the river, but also to empower the frontliners of this endeavor through coordinated information drive and capacity building,” he added.