Officials and personnel of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources caught a man relieving himself near the shore on Roxas Boulevard in Manila while a cleanup of the Manila Bay was being conducted Saturday.
In a video sent to reporters, DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda is seen castigating a man after he was caught defecating near the shore of Manila Bay.
"Hirap na hirap kami kakalinis, tinataehan mo? Bawal 'yun eh. (While we are working hard cleaning the bay, you chose to defecate there? That is prohibited)," Antiporda was seen telling the man.
Antiporda, along with DENR Undersecretary Jonas Leones, led the site visit and cleanup of the Manila Bay on Roxas Boulevard in preparation for the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day on Sept. 19.
They were joined by personnel from the DENR Central Office and West Field Office of the DENR-National Capital Region who conduct daily cleanup in Manila Bay.
During the event, Antiporda said they were laying down dolomite stones within the 120 meter by 60 meter priority area, which is part of the Phase 1 of the Beach Nourishment Project of the DENR.
The filling of the controversial "white sand" on the baywalk is being expedited in time for the celebration of the ICC.
The DENR official cited that from around 50 trucks of garbage hauled every day in the past administrations, only two to three trucks of garbage are now being hauled since the Manila Bay rehabilitation was launched in 2018.