By Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz The Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC) has collected 500 sacks of garbage weighing around 15,000 kilograms in total during a half-day cleanup along the Pasig River last Saturday. An enormous amount of garbage has almost covered a part of the Pasig River under the Sevilla Bridge at the boundary of San Juan City and Mandaluyong City, clogging the waterway and causing floods during heavy rains and creating a breeding ground of diseases.  (MARK BALMORES / MANILA BULLETIN FILE PHOTO) PRRC Executive Director Jose Antonio Goitia blamed the large volume of floating solid waste coming from Manila Bay that enters the Pasig River. The agency said large volumes of waste coming from Manila Bay have originated from cities, municipalities, and provinces surrounding it. PRRC said that since Manila Bay is usually on high tide at this time of the year, waves of garbage are washed onto the Pasig River. “This is a natural phenomenon most especially observed during summer due to the changing weather conditions,” it added. In a cleanup drive along the Pasig River, particularly in the waters near Lawton and Parola in the city of Manila last Saturday, PRRC was able to collect around 15,000 kilograms of garbage in 500 sacks in just half a day of cleaning the river. Sixty PRRC personnel comprised of its river warriors, patrols and watch, and other employees helped in the manual cleanup. PRRC is expected to resume the collection of garbage along Pasig River on Sunday. “It (cleanup) will continue in the coming days until the volume of garbage entering the river is significantly reduced,” it pointed out. Meanwhile, Goitia is calling on the public to be more responsible in disposing their waste and help maintain the cleanliness of Pasig River, as well as the Manila Bay. This year, the historic bay is also a focus of the comprehensive rehabilitation program of the interagency Manila Bay Task Force led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.