'Truly shocking sea of trash' in Manila: Before-and-after cleanup

Manila: After the “sea of trash” shocked residents and officials when it surfaced in Parañaque City, one of the 16 cities comprising Metro Manila, joint clearing operations have significantly reduced the volume of garbage.

The float heap of garbage, which clogged the Redemptorist Water Channel in Barangay Baclaran, was described by Palace as “truly shocking”.

Officials also backed stronger local government penalties for improper disposal by residents and visitors. 

Days-long clearing operations allowed water to flow more freely after days of heavy monsoon rains, officials said Wednesday.

The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and Parañaque city government posted before-and-after images showing the waterway densely packed with plastic bottles, styrofoam, wood, tires and other debris on Aug. 11, then largely clear of surface trash by Wednesday.

City officials reported 72 truckloads — about 396.6 metric tons — of waste hauled over three days, with operations continuing using additional equipment including floating backhoes and a trash skimmer, as of August 12, 2026.

President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. blamed the unprecedented garbage to a damaged trash trap combined with extreme rainfall equivalent to nearly a month’s total — almost one meter — in one week, plus high tides that washed debris from Manila Bay into the roughly 1-km channel linking Parañaque and Pasay.

The buildup restricted water flow and worsened flooding in surrounding areas.

Clearing is expected to continue for several more days.

The chief executive acknowledged the severity of the problem.

“Just look at it, does that look critical to you? It does to me, so yes. I wouldn’t call it a garbage crisis, but that is the problem that we are facing,” Marcos told reporters.

The president spoke while viewing efforts to clear the channel in Baclaran, where heavy rains from the southwest monsoon, or habagat, had washed in tons of debris.

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon had earlier called the situation a “garbage crisis,” noting he had never seen the region’s waterways in such a severe state.

Officials attributed the unusual buildup — which he said was the "first of its kind" in the area — to a damaged trash trap.

He noted, however, that much of the waste did not originate in Parañaque but was carried in from other areas via canals and Manila Bay. 

As of Wednesday, Parañaque reported 397 metric tons collected over three days; other tallies put the volume higher, with one report citing 500 metric tons delivered to landfills by 45 trucks as of Tuesday.

Addressing calls for stiffer fines on improper waste disposal — including a Metro Manila Council resolution last year setting a uniform 5,000-peso (about $85) penalty for littering — Marcos said such measures would be ineffective without adequate facilities.

“So it’s not useful to fine people for not throwing their garbage [properly] if there is no place to put their garbage. Of course, people are aware that there are fines. Wala namang may gusto na mamumultahan (Nobody wants to be fined). Pero kailangan bigyan din natin ng facilities na kung saan pwedeng itapon yung basura. Ganun lang kasimple kung minsan ‘yan eh. ((But we need to have facilities where people should drump their trash. Sometimes, the solution is as simple as that)."

He cited Japan’s effective waste-management system as a model the Philippines should emulate and reiterated plans for waste-to-energy facilities to reduce landfill dependence while generating power.