Navotas City lone district Rep. Toby Tiangco is aware that garbage control directly affects flood control.

Intending to do something about it, Tiangco filed House Bill (HB) No.10841 or the Anti-Littering Community Service Act in the current 20th Congress.

The measure, lodged in the House of Representatives amid the incessant heavy rains and floods, mandates that individuals who get caught littering would be made to clean canals, esteros, and other waterways.

Tiangco said the rationale behind the measure was simple.

"Kung wala kang makitang basurahan, hawakan mo muna ang basura mo hanggang may mapagtatapunan ka nang maayos. Pero kapag itinapon natin kung saan-saan, sa kanal din ang bagsak niyan at buong komunidad ang apektado kapag bumaha,” he said.

(If you can’t find a trash bin, hold on to your trash until you can dispose of it properly. But if we throw it anywhere, it ends up in the drainage, and the whole community is affected when floods come.)

Tiangco said a single piece of trash may seem harmless, but when it piles up in canals and drainage systems, it can clog waterways and worsen flooding.

Under the bill, offenders will render one day or eight hours of community service for the first offense, two days for the second, and three days for the third and succeeding offenses.

The measure seeks to strengthen the implementation of Republic Act (RA) No. 9003 or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000, which already prohibits littering and dumping in public places.

Tiangco says weak enforcement has limited the effectiveness of existing anti-littering rules.

The bill also cited the approximately 750 metric tons of garbage and debris recently collected by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) from a waterway following days of heavy rain.

“Kapag bumabara ang kanal dahil sa basura, tayong lahat ang apektado—mga pamilyang binabaha, mga motorista, mga negosyo, at mga manggagawang kailangang maglinis. Kaya hindi sapat na may batas. Kailangan may malinaw ding pananagutan sa pagpapatupad nito,” said the veteran solon.

(When the drainage gets clogged with trash, everyone is affected—families hit by floods, motorists, businesses, and workers who must clean up. That’s why laws alone aren’t enough. There must also be clear accountability in enforcing them.)

Under the proposed law, local officials and employees who fail to enforce the measure may face 15 days' suspension without pay for the first offense, 30 days for the second, and dismissal from service for the third and succeeding offenses, subject to civil service rules.

Canal-cleaning activities must also be supervised and conducted with proper protective equipment, tools, sanitation facilities, and safeguards against hazardous work. Safe alternative assignments will be provided to vulnerable or medically unfit offenders.

“Ang pag-aatas ng community service na paglilinis ng mga kanal ay naglalayong ipaunawa sa mga lumalabag na higit na madali at halos walang hirap ang wastong pagtatapon ng basura kaysa sa napakahirap, matrabaho, at magastos na paglilinis ng mga kanal at drainage system na nababarahan dahil sa iresponsableng pagtatapon ng basura," Tiangco said.

(The imposition of community service to clean drainage aims to make violators realize that proper waste disposal is far easier and almost effortless compared to the difficult, labor-intensive, and costly task of cleaning canals and drainage systems blocked by irresponsible dumping.)

"Sa pamamagitan ng aktwal na pakikilahok sa paglilinis ng mga kanal, inaasahang magkakaroon sila ng mas malalim na pag-unawa sa masasamang epekto ng hindi wastong pagtatapon ng basura at mas matibay na pagpapahalaga sa kanilang personal na pananagutan sa pangangalaga sa kalikasan at kapaligiran,” he further explained.

(Through actual participation in cleaning canals, they are expected to gain a deeper understanding of the harmful effects of improper waste disposal and a stronger appreciation of their personal responsibility in caring for nature and the environment.)

An offender who fails to complete the required community service shall be subject to the appropriate proceedings and penalties under the Revised Penal Code (RPC) and other applicable laws.

Once enacted, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG), in coordination with concerned national agencies and local governments, will issue the implementing rules within 15 days from the law’s effectivity.