President Marcos said the country is facing a serious garbage problem but rejected describing the situation as a “garbage crisis,” while stressing that tougher penalties for littering must be matched by adequate waste disposal facilities.

In an interview during the inspection of clearing and waste collection operations at the Diokno Pumping Station in Pasay City on Wednesday, Aug. 12, the President said the garbage “appeared” to be a crisis but refused to call it as such.

“Yeah, it’s certainly. Just look at it— it does not look critical to you, but it does to me,” he said.

“I wouldn’t call it a garbage crisis, but that is the problem that we are facing,” he added.

Responding to a question about proposals to impose stiffer penalties for improper waste disposal, Marcos said enforcement would have limited effect if people had no accessible places where they could throw their garbage.

“The problem kung minsan walang basurahan, walang pupuntahan, walang paglalagyan ng basura (sometimes there are no garbage cans),” he said.

The President said the government must first provide the necessary facilities for proper waste disposal, noting that people are already aware of existing fines and generally do not want to be penalized.

“So, that’s what… of course, people are aware that there are fines. Nobody wants to be fined, wala namang gusto na mamumultahan. Pero kailangan bigyan din natin ng facilities na kung saan puwede itapon iyong basura (but we need to provide them with facilities where they can throw their trash),” he said.

Marcos said the government is pursuing waste-to-energy projects as landfills become increasingly full and the cost of transporting garbage continues to rise.

He said the administration is now working on the location of waste-to-energy plants, as well as the arrangements between local government units (LGUs) and the facilities, to reduce hauling costs.

The President said the technical aspects of the proposed system have already been completed, while the government is now working on how the system will operate and which groups will participate.

Marcos noted that the Department of Energy (DOE) may begin auctioning the electricity to be generated by waste-to-energy facilities within the next few months, with the government expecting to begin seeing results within a year to a year and a half.

President Marcos also linked the garbage problem to flooding, saying waste entering waterways can eventually clog pumping stations and undermine flood-control efforts.

He said the government has been gradually dredging waterways, canals, and esteros after a 12-year gap in dredging operations, but warned that newly cleared waterways could again become clogged if garbage is not intercepted before reaching pumping stations.

“We have to go through the entire process kung saan kayang makuha ang basura na bago pumasok dito sa city, bago mapunta, mabara iyong ating mga pumping stations (We have to go through the entire process of finding where the garbage can be caught before it enters the city and before it gets to clog our pumping stations),” he said.

Marcos ensured that the administration would continue pursuing different strategies to reduce flooding, noting that solutions would vary depending on the conditions in different parts of the country.

Meanwhile, President Marcos said the Diokno Pumping Station had never operated since it was built until it was activated during last year's typhoon season.

He said the facility quickly became clogged with garbage carried from Manila Bay by floodwaters and high tide, underscoring the need to prevent waste from reaching pumping stations.

He added that many flood-control facilities had been left unused for years and would have to be restored to improve their operation.

He likewise noted that the explanation given for the pumping station's prolonged inactivity was that there was no budget for fuel.

“Eh, hindi ko na malaman kung saan napunta ‘yung budget na ‘yon (I no longer know where that budget went),” Marcos said.

The President said the government would restore the facilities and improve the operation of the country's flood-control system.