MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources will prioritize the rehabilitation of San Juan River next, its chief said Thursday.
Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu described San Juan river as the “dirtiest” waterway in Metro Manila.
“Ito ang concentration ko this January, itong cleanup ng San Juan River kasi tignan mo na lang sa kulay ng tubig… Ang kulay ng tubig sa San Juan iba. Dirty talaga,” Cimatu said in a forum on environment organized by Stratbase group.
(My concentration this January is the cleanup of San Juan river because look at its color. The color of water in San Juan river is different. It’s really dirty.)
“Nag-boat ako eh di pa ako masyadong lumalapit nangamoy na saka nagkalat ‘yung mga garbage dun,” he added.
(I went there using a boat. I can already smell the bad odor and see scattered garbage even from afar.)
The environment chief said garbage dumped into the waterway comes from Quezon City and San Juan City.
San Juan river—a major tributary of the Pasig River—passes through the cities of Quezon, San Juan, Metro Manila and Mandaluyong.
Quezon City Mayor Joy Belmonte told reporters she would “take everything that the secretary says very seriously.”
Last August, DENR entered into a partnership with the Aboitiz Group to spearhead the rehabilitation of the 11-kilometer San Juan river, which will run for three years and renewable for another year.
The environment department is currently rehabilitating Manila Bay. The program began on January 27.