The project was spearheaded by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) - National Capital Region, Lake and River Management Office, Taguig's City Environment and Natural Resources Office, and the Taguig Facilities Management Office. Mike Smith, the founder of Zero Co, a company that recycles and assists in clearing waterways, collaborated on the effort.
Project Manager Francis Chua was keen to stress that the government had not been negligent in its responsibility to clean the rivers in Metro Manila. "I want to make it clear that our government did not neglect its responsibility in the cleanup project. It was an excellent example of a successful collaborative effort," Chua stated.
The haul from the Taguig-Pateros River cleanup included water bottles, shampoo sachets, soap wrappers, and other non-biodegradable waste.
(Screenshot from Google Maps)
Smith's group has also carried out similar cleanup operations at the San Juan River and Tanza Marine Tree Park.
"We only have one planet, one ocean, and we all share it. We all need to do our little bit to solve this problem, and it starts by using less plastic at home," Smith commented.
Smith's company began its cleanup initiatives along Australia's coastlines, later expanding to Indonesia and Egypt, where they have collected a total of 18,000 kilograms of trash.
(Photos from Mike Smith's FB Page)
