Aired (September 29, 2024): Isang lumalalang krisis sa bansa ang pagdami ng plastik na basura. Ang pinsalang dulot nito, aabot hindi lang sa kalikasan, kundi maging sa ating kabuhayan at kalusugan. Masosolusyunan pa ba ang problema sa plastik na basura kung ang plastik, forever na? Panoorin ang video.
Watch 'The Atom Araullo Specials' every last Sunday of the month on GMA Network, hosted by award-winning broadcast journalist Atom Araullo. Subscribe to youtube.com/gmapublicaffairs for our full episodes.
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Watch 'The Atom Araullo Specials' every last Sunday of the month on GMA Network, hosted by award-winning broadcast journalist Atom Araullo. Subscribe to youtube.com/gmapublicaffairs for our full episodes.
#TheAtomAraulloSpecials
#RepublikaNgPlastik
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FunTranscript
00:00I'm in the town of Romblon to solve a mystery.
00:29Please don't go there.
00:35We are looking for someone who is buried in this beach.
00:39Sir, the head is here. 3 meters.
00:46Slowly, the ground is rocky.
00:50Just keep an eye on this, sir. Just keep an eye on it. I don't want to hit it.
00:55It didn't take long.
00:57I can already see the bottom of the body.
01:03The truth has been revealed.
01:07The rotting body of an alien.
01:21What happened to the animal's body?
01:23The experts suspect that it might have something to do with a forever problem.
01:36The trash?
01:38Plastic.
01:39More than 7,000 islands are surrounded by water.
01:54And more than 100 million people use products made from plastic.
02:01How will you manage the 7,641 islands?
02:05If most of these islands have a household, they use plastic to produce.
02:15The result?
02:17A growing crisis.
02:19Destroying life.
02:21It's all trash.
02:25Nature.
02:31And health.
02:34Especially plastic.
02:36It's now reaching our food.
02:40Here are the fish.
02:43This is my favorite.
02:47And it's also seen in our bodies.
02:51So here it is. We can see that it flourished among other particles in our samples.
02:58If plastic is forever, is the problem forever as well?
03:05To be continued.
03:12Our story will begin in Ilogpasig, Manila.
03:17Sir Deo.
03:19Good morning.
03:21How are you?
03:22Welcome.
03:23Thank you, thank you.
03:25I met scientists from the UP Marine Science Institute
03:29who are conducting a study on the spread of plastic in our oceans.
03:36Rivers have been identified as one of the most significant pathways from land to the sea.
03:43So we want to know, according to the studies,
03:46Pasig River is one of the highest, actually number one.
03:50In the Philippines?
03:51In the whole world.
03:52In the world?
03:53Yes, in the world.
03:55Doc Deo is an expert in marine science.
03:59He has already visited the Philippine Trench,
04:02the third deepest place in the world.
04:06There it is.
04:08That is the bottom of the Philippine Trench.
04:11This is the deepest part of the Philippine Trench.
04:13We're showing a raw depth of 10,045 meters.
04:18Guess what he saw there?
04:21Guess what he saw there?
04:27No dead plastic.
04:32Doc, do we have a problem with plastic?
04:34A big one.
04:35We have a big problem with plastic.
04:38It's felt, it's seen, and it's prevalent.
04:43It means that from the studies we did,
04:46we can see it even in places where there should be no people.
04:50We can see it even in places where there should be no people.
05:00What we want to know,
05:02we're always asked,
05:03when plastic comes out of the Pasig River,
05:05where does it go?
05:07It's hard to track plastic,
05:08so what we do is tracking.
05:10Inside this bottle, there's a GPS.
05:12When we throw this,
05:13we can track the flow of water.
05:16Then we can know
05:17where the plastic is going.
05:20Can I release this?
05:23This is the first GPS tracking device.
05:25We're going to release it.
05:28Wow!
05:31Woohoo!
05:35Deyo has a lot of tracker plans
05:38in different parts of the country.
05:41This information is important
05:43to know where the plastic is going
05:46and what areas are affected.
05:51The story of plastic
05:52really starts in our homes,
05:54in the market,
05:55in us, every day.
05:59According to the World Bank,
06:01in 2021,
06:03plastic waste reached 2.7 metric tons
06:06in the Philippines every year.
06:1020% of it
06:12goes to the seas and oceans.
06:17The problem is more noticeable
06:19whenever there's heavy flooding.
06:24Single-use plastics,
06:26such as sachets,
06:28are still used in the country.
06:32It is said that
06:33163 million pieces of sachets
06:36are used by Filipinos
06:38every day.
06:40To see how widespread
06:42the plastic problem is,
06:44Doc Deyo gave me a tip.
06:47I visited the market.
06:52These kinds of shellfish
06:54are called bivalves.
06:56When it comes to bivalves,
06:59they are called filter feeders.
07:01They swim in the water
07:03and feed the shellfish.
07:05There you go.
07:06Nice.
07:08Thank you, thank you.
07:11Okay, we're done with the bivalves.
07:13Let's move on to the bivalves.
07:16These are the bivalves.
07:19This is my favorite.
07:24This is a bivalve.
07:26This is a bivalve.
07:28This is a bivalve.
07:30This is a bivalve.
07:32This is a bivalve.
07:33This is a bivalve.
07:40It is important that
07:41we put the bivalves here
07:43in stainless containers
07:46because we need to wash it
07:49before wrapping it properly
07:51to make sure that
07:52there is no contamination.
07:54So, let's wash it first.
07:58The samples were brought
08:00to the laboratory of
08:01the UPMSI in Borinao
08:03to be tested.
08:07Here, we have the bivalves.
08:11What will we discover?
08:18The Philippines is known
08:19for its marine biodiversity,
08:21which is one of the richest
08:23in the entire world.
08:25But because of plastic,
08:27it seems that our seas
08:28are becoming polluted.
08:31This is the reason why
08:32the Philippines is the
08:33most polluted country in the world.
08:36In July,
08:38a dead pilot whale
08:39was found in the seabed
08:41of Barangay Sablayan, Romblon.
08:47The whale is 16 feet long.
08:51This is the fourth case
08:53of dolphin and whale stranding
08:55here in Romblon this year.
08:57Because the local government
08:59did not have enough resources
09:01to find out
09:02where the whale was found,
09:04they just buried it.
09:19More than a month later,
09:21an expert came to Romblon
09:24to investigate the case.
09:29Daryl Blatchley,
09:31director of the DeBone Museum
09:33in Davao City,
09:38dug the whale again
09:40to investigate its death.
09:43So,
09:44this is the first time
09:46that you know
09:47what's inside the whale?
09:49Hoping and praying
09:51that justice will be served
09:53for the death of the whale.
09:56Daryl has already started
09:57the necropsy,
10:00an examination
10:01done on the bodies
10:02of the dead animals.
10:07He interviewed
10:08the municipal environment officer,
10:09Saiki.
10:12What we're going to do now
10:14is to try to open
10:15its stomach
10:17to see what's inside,
10:18what was eaten
10:19by this whale.
10:24It's not easy to examine
10:25the rotting body
10:27of a living animal.
10:32Daryl's sweat
10:33is dripping.
10:51And even though
10:52Daryl is already used
10:53to this job,
10:55there are times
10:56when his sweat
10:57also turns red.
11:10It's a rare opportunity
11:11for all of us
11:12to witness.
11:14But as time goes by,
11:16the mystery deepens.
11:19So far, we're not even
11:20finding squid beaks in there.
11:22We're not finding anything
11:24in the stomach.
11:26So,
11:28as the LG reported
11:30and the Mineral reported,
11:31there was no injuries on it
11:33that would have been
11:34either getting speared
11:36or hit by a boat.
11:39And these animals
11:40are not going to strand
11:41just because of a storm.
11:43You would have had more
11:44than one stranding
11:45if it was due to the storm
11:46at that time.
11:48In the end,
11:49Daryl didn't see
11:50any clear signs
11:52of what was killed
11:53by the whales.
11:55Do you have any guess
11:57as to why this animal
11:58ended up here?
11:59Of course, this is just
12:00an educated guess.
12:01Just an educated guess.
12:02The fact that they grow up
12:03to 20 to 25 feet long,
12:05it was 16 feet.
12:06It's not old,
12:07it's not young,
12:08it's just basically a teenager.
12:10And the ribs are starting
12:11to sink in,
12:12the eyes are sunk in.
12:13You know that that animal
12:15probably hasn't been
12:16eaten very well.
12:20Daryl has been living
12:21in the Philippines
12:22for 30 years,
12:23and he has been caught
12:24in various cases
12:25of animal deaths.
12:29According to his experience,
12:31it's rare that
12:32marine animals
12:33are not killed
12:34by plastic waste.
12:38This whale was number 81
12:40when I necropsied
12:41here in the Philippines
12:42in the last 16 years.
12:44Out of the 81
12:45that I've necropsied,
12:4669 have died
12:47from plastic waste.
12:49So let's say,
12:5169 out of 80,
12:5381,
12:54that's more than 80 percent.
12:56What makes it worse
12:57is when my sons
12:58are with me
12:59and we're doing the necropsy,
13:00and they'll go
13:01scuba diving with me.
13:02They're like,
13:03you know,
13:04is there anything
13:05going to be left for us?
13:06Feb 2024.
13:08Ah, 2024 din.
13:10Ano po ito?
13:12Yan po yung may mga
13:13plastic straw po,
13:15tapos may mga fishing net.
13:17Ayon kay Psyche,
13:19pinaghinalaan nilang plastic
13:20ang sanhinang pagkamatay
13:21ng balyena.
13:23Dahil ito ang kanilang karanasan
13:25pagdating sa mga pawikan
13:27na napapadpad sa lugar.
13:29May mga times na sa isang araw,
13:31nagkakaroon po kami
13:33ng napapadpad na dalawa.
13:35Ganun?
13:36Opo.
13:37Dumating pa sa point, sir,
13:38na halos araw-araw meron.
13:39Talaga?
13:40Kaya umabot kami, sir,
13:41sa buong,
13:42dito lang po sa munisipyo,
13:44nakapagtala po kami
13:45ng 32 na stranding
13:47ng pawikan last year.
13:49Tapos, dun sa mga patay,
13:51mga ilan doon,
13:52halimbawa out of 10,
13:54ilan doon yung nakikitaan nyo
13:56ng ganitong mga plastic?
13:58Mga 7 to 8 po.
14:06Mahalagang bahagi ng buhay
14:07ng mga Tagaromblon,
14:09ang karagatan.
14:15Pinagkukunan po
14:16ng hanap buhay namin dito.
14:18Yung pangaraw-araw po
14:20na pagkain namin
14:21sa dagat po, nakabase.
14:25Pero kahit na anong pag-aalaga
14:26sa kanilang kapaligiran,
14:29apektado sila ng mga nangayari
14:31sa labas ng kanilang isla.
14:34During habagat season po,
14:36sa amin po talaga yung tambak
14:38ng sandamakmak na plastic.
14:40Although mahigpit kami dito,
14:42pero yung binabalik po ng dagat
14:43na mga basura
14:45is nandito po sa amin.
14:50Itong lugar na ito
14:51ay isang sanctuary
14:52ng lokal ng pamahalaan.
14:54So talagang inaalagaan nila
14:55para may lugar
14:56kung saan lumaki yung mga isda.
14:58Kaya lang,
14:59hindi naman nila mapipigilan
15:00kung may mga basura
15:01na inaanod dito
15:02galing sa ibang mga lugar.
15:04So mag-dive tayo ngayon
15:05para makita yung sitwasyon.
15:14Marine Biodiversity
15:38Kitang-kita ang mayamang
15:39marine biodiversity
15:40sa lugar na ito.
15:44Pero pa na panahon,
15:46sumusulput din
15:47ang basurang plastic.
16:10Lupang mas malalapa
16:11ang sitwasyon,
16:13sa ibang lugar sa bansa.
16:43Sa pagtagal ng panahon,
16:44dumadami ang plastic.
16:45Hindi din nakakahinga
16:46yung mangrove
16:47at pwede din silang mamatay.
16:58Wala pang risulta
16:59ang pagsasaliksik ng MSI
17:01tungkol sa mga inaanod na plastic
17:03mula sa Ilog-Pasig.
17:05Pero ilang araw pa lang,
17:06ang tracker na pinakawalan namin
17:08sa Maynila
17:09umabot na ng pangasaliksik.
17:13Sa Ilog-Pasig.
17:23Ang panganib ng plastic
17:24ay hindi lang limitado
17:25sa mga lamang dagat.
17:28Ang totoo,
17:29nakakain na rin natin ito
17:32sa pamamagitan
17:33ng tinatawag na microplastics.
17:37Yung mga macroplastics natin,
17:39dahil na din sa pagtagal ng panahon,
17:41pwede yung rumurupok.
17:42At habang rumurupok sila,
17:43nagiging maliit.
17:44Yung tinatawag natin microplastics.
17:46Micro sila,
17:47kasi minsan hindi natin nakikita
17:48ng mga mata natin,
17:49kailangan natin ng microscope,
17:51para aralin sila.
18:01Binalikan namin
18:02ang mga sample ng tahong at alaba
18:04na dinala namin
18:05sa isang laboratorio sa Bolinao.
18:08So una,
18:10bubuksan natin isa-isa yung
18:12ating mga
18:15talaba at tahong
18:16per individual
18:17para lang makuha yung loob niya.
18:40So ito yung final sample natin
18:42na will be subjected
18:44to our
18:46for microplastics examination.
19:02So ito siya.
19:03Makikita natin,
19:04nag-flourish siya
19:05among other particles
19:06na nandyan sa ating sample.
19:09So,
19:10sa muscles and
19:13yung oysters natin na samples,
19:15meron po tayong nakitang
19:17microplastics.
19:25Hindi siya nakakagulat,
19:26pero nakakabahala pa din.
19:27Kasi kahit na yung mga samples natin
19:29inanggaling sa malalayang lugar,
19:31halimbawa pagka sa island,
19:32o kaya sa kaduluduluhan ng Palawan,
19:34o kaduluduluhan ng Mindanao,
19:36one hundred percent
19:37nagpa-positive sa microplastics.
19:41Hindi lang mga shellfish
19:42ang apektado ng microplastics.
19:45Sa ibang mga pag-aaral sa Pilipinas
19:47at ibang bahagi ng mundo,
19:49may natagpuan ding microplastics
19:51sa mga isdang hinahain
19:53sa hapagkainan.
19:56Ang mga tao nakakain din itong mga ganito,
19:58hindi ba?
19:59Tama.
20:00Maraming magsasabi,
20:01halimbawa may isang pag-aaral sa Canada
20:03na equivalent daw sa isang
20:05credit card o plastic card,
20:07ang lulunok, nakakain, at nai-inhale
20:09ng tao.
20:11Kada ano yan?
20:12Kada ilang?
20:13Kada taon.
20:14Kada taon? Okay.
20:15At marami yun, malaki yun.
20:17At ito'y nakakabahala
20:19kasi alam natin nangyayari siya,
20:21pero kulang talaga tayo sa pag-aaral
20:23kung ano yung long-term effect.
20:24May mga nagsasabi at may mga hypothesis
20:26na pwedeng associated ito sa cancer,
20:28pwedeng associated ito sa abnormal growth,
20:31or hormonal imbalances.
20:35Pag-aaral sa Canada
20:51At apektado rin ng pulusyong plastic,
20:53ang mga umaasa sa dagat
20:55para sa kanilang kabuhayan.
21:05Pag-aaral sa Canada
21:16Sa Ubando, Bulacan
21:18sinamahan kumangisda si Victor.
21:30So dito, simulat sa pool,
21:32dito ka nang nagkatapaw.
21:33Opo, opo.
21:34Diyan na po ako lumakay.
21:35Diyan na po ako umunod po nang gato.
21:37Diyan po ako nag-aanak buhay.
21:39Alam na ibang anak buhay na ibang.
21:41Ako dito lang po.
21:44Isa-isa nang hinatak ni Victor
21:45ang kanyang mga lambat.
21:50Mga maliliit na isda,
21:51hipon,
21:52at alimango
21:54ang gusto niyang mahuli.
21:57Pero iba
21:58ang kanyang nakikita.
22:00Saan nangkagaling yung basura,
22:02sa tingin niyo?
22:04Wala naman sabi,
22:05kasi po,
22:06dumadaan lang po ang basura sa amin
22:07pag may ganyan po kalakasan na agus.
22:09Di po naman.
22:17Puro basura talaga.
22:20Plastic, oh.
22:21Ayun, merong konting
22:26hipon.
22:28Tsaka,
22:29isang
22:31alimango.
22:33Kaya lang,
22:34patay na.
22:54Anong napapansin mo sa nakaraang mga taon?
22:57Dumadami ba yung plastic?
22:59Patindi po nang patindi.
23:02Sa huli,
23:03mas marami pang naipong plastic si Victor
23:07kumpara sa isda
23:08at iba pang lamang dagat.
23:11Yung ganyan ba,
23:13pagkakakitaan mo pa yan?
23:14Wala po.
23:16Wala na rin po,
23:17kaya hindi namin alam
23:18kung saan po kami lulugar,
23:20kung
23:22saan kami mag-uum,
23:23maglalagay ng pang-uumang po namin,
23:24hindi namin alam kung
23:27hanggang saan ba mayroon to,
23:29hanggang saan kami,
23:30hanggang kailang kami mababasura.
23:36Siguro iniisip nyo,
23:39may iwasan ang lahat ng ito
23:42kung itatapon ng namaayos ng bawat isa
23:44ang kanilang basura.
23:46May katotohanan nito.
23:49Kanina lang nakita ko yung mga kotse
23:50nagbubukas ng
23:52bintana at nagtatapon.
23:55Cigarette butts
23:56o kaya pinagkainan
23:58o kaya pinaginuman.
24:00So, yung problema
24:01hindi lang siguro edukasyon.
24:04Cultural din.
24:06Nasanay tayo
24:07na lahat ng tinapon natin dati nawawala.
24:10Pero ang problema ngayon,
24:11dahil dumadami na sila,
24:12bumabalik na sa atin.
24:15Pero higit paroon ang problema.
24:19Sa pangisdaan nila Bicoy,
24:22may napansin ako sa di-kalayuan.
24:31Ito ang tapos.
24:38Isa itong tanawin
24:39na hindi madalas nakikita
24:40ng mga taga Metro Manila.
24:42Pero posibling
24:43ang basurang itinatapon mo
24:45dito na pupunta.
24:47So, isa siyang landfill
24:49na ang kapuna-puna
24:51katabi lamang ng dagat.
24:53Kaya ang tanong dito,
24:54gaano kaligtas
24:55yung ganyang klaseng setup.
24:57Hindi lamang dun sa katas ng basura,
24:59kundi dun sa mga plastic
25:01na pinangangambahan nga natin
25:02mapunta sa dagat.
25:07Ito ang Navotas Sanitary Landfill.
25:10Isang apatapong ektaryang pasilidad
25:12na tumatanggap ng 3,000 tonelada
25:14ng basura araw-araw
25:17mula sa iba't ibang lungsod
25:18sa Metro Manila.
25:202006 pa ito nag-ooperate.
25:24Pero sa isang report noong 2023,
25:26sinabi ng Commission on Audit
25:28na lumalabag sa batas ang pasilidad.
25:31Paano ba naman?
25:33Napapaligiran ito ng tubig.
25:35Isang bagay na ipinagbabawal
25:37sa ilalim ng
25:38Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000.
25:43Kumestyon din ng COA
25:45kung bakit pinayagan ng construction
25:47at operasyon ng pasilidad.
25:51Ayon sa kumpanyang
25:52natpapatakbo ng landfill,
25:54merong mangrove forests
25:55at agricultural land
25:57sa paligid neto,
25:58kaya hindi raw direkt
25:59ang napupunta sa tubig
26:01ang basura.
26:03Dagdag pa nila,
26:04meron silang tinatawag na
26:05Engineered Protective Layers
26:07para maiwasan
26:08ang kontaminasyon ng tubig.
26:12Nagpadala rin sila
26:13ng kopya ng kanilang
26:14Environmental Compliance Certificate
26:17na in-issue noong 2016.
26:25Sa buong mundo,
26:26tinatayang 80% ng mga plastik sa dagat
26:29ang nanggagaling sa lupa.
26:34Kahit kasi ang basurang
26:35nakatambak na sa dumpsite
26:37sa mga kabundukan,
26:39madalas,
26:40umaabot pa rin daw sa karagatan.
26:46Makikita kung bakit
26:48sa isang tambakan ng basura sa Rizal.
26:54Ito na nga yung problema
26:55nasa may gilid tayo ng burol
27:00tapos doon sa may baba
27:02ang nakikita ko parang ano na yun eh
27:04parang creek.
27:06Kaya yung tubig galing sa ulan
27:09doon umaagos
27:12at hindi na natin alam
27:13kung saan pupunta yun.
27:14Siyempre sa ilog,
27:15dire direcho hanggang dagat.
27:17Sa sobrang dami ng plastik dito,
27:20ng basura,
27:21halos din mo na makikita yung ilog.
27:26So tulad ng inaasahan,
27:28karamihan ng basura
27:29yung nakikita ko dito ay plastik.
27:32Ang kapuna-puna,
27:33mas dumami yung mga plastik
27:36galing sa mga courier service.
27:38So, ito yung mga bubble wrap
27:40tsaka yung mga balot
27:41ng mga dinideliver sa mga bahay natin.
27:44Medyo nauso kasi sya eh.
27:46As of 2021,
27:4829% lang daw ng mga LGU sa bansa
27:51ang naseserbisyuhan
27:52ng maayos na sanitary landfill.
27:55Kaya naman,
27:56napakarami pa rin
27:57ang mga iligal na dumpsite.
28:01May paraan para mabawasan
28:02ang basurang tinatambak
28:04sa mga landfill.
28:09At isa ang Barangay Potrero Malabon
28:11sa mga komunidad na yumakap
28:13sa sistema ng ito.
28:16Good morning! Basura!
28:19Tuwing umaga,
28:20Basura!
28:22Rumoronda ang tinaguriang
28:23Waste Warriors ng Barangay
28:26para house to house
28:27na manguleta
28:28ng basura.
28:30Basura ko!
28:42Sa bahay pa lang,
28:44kailangan,
28:45nakasegregate na ang basura.
28:47Ipinagbubukod ang mga nabubulok
28:50sa hindi nabubulok
28:51kaya ng plastic.
28:53Kaleinan mo na lahat yan.
29:01Ang mga basurang
29:02pwedeng i-recycle
29:04pinadala sa mga junk shop.
29:08Plastic bottle na,
29:09hindi malinis.
29:12Ang nabubulok namang basura
29:15pinadala sa Materials Recovery Facility
29:17o MRF
29:19para sa composting.
29:21Sa kalangit inatapon sa landfill
29:24ang natitira.
29:27Effective ba ang Materials Recovery Facility
29:30as a solution to solid waste?
29:32It's very effective.
29:33In fact, for us,
29:34we call it the heart and soul
29:35of ecological solid waste management
29:37kasi kung walang MRF,
29:39hindi mabubuhay,
29:40hindi magiging successful
29:41ang ecological solid waste program.
29:44Sa kanilang 95% compliance rate,
29:47ilang beses nang kinilala
29:48ang potrero
29:50sa kanilang Solid Waste Management Program.
29:57Katuwang nila dito
29:58ang International NGO Nagaya
30:01o Global Alliance for Incinerator Alternatives.
30:05Kamakailan nga,
30:07may mga bumisita pang Vietnamese
30:08sa barangay
30:10para matuto sa kanilang karanasan.
30:12We need to end the narrative
30:13that poor people are the problem.
30:16Here, we see that
30:17we are actually leading the solution.
30:22Sa usapin ng plastik,
30:23dalawang bagay ang ating nakikita.
30:24Una,
30:25hindi nakokolekta.
30:27At dito pumapasok
30:28yung papel ng gobyerno
30:29ng mga syudad ng barangay natin.
30:31Marami sa mga syudad natin
30:32wala pa ring waste collection services.
30:34Ibig sabihin,
30:35yung mga tao,
30:36kahit gusto ko,
30:37wala akong choice
30:38kundi magtapon
30:39ng ibang basura ko
30:40sa kung saan-saan lang.
30:42Sa ilalim ng batas,
30:44dapat may MRF
30:45ang bawat barangay sa bansa.
30:47Pero sa datos pa rin ng COA,
30:4939% pa lang
30:50ang sumusunod dito.
30:52Sa pag-aaral naman
30:53ng gaya nitong 2023,
30:55mas mababa pa nga
30:56ang numero.
30:5910% nang down
31:00ng mga barangay
31:01ang may gumaganang MRF.
31:04And what's the problem?
31:05Bakit ganon?
31:06Maraming dahilan.
31:07Una,
31:08para sa mga mayayaman na syudad,
31:10yung pag-transession
31:11sa nakagawian natin
31:12na hakutin
31:13at itambak ang basura
31:15kung saan malaking pondo
31:16ng gobyerno ang nagagastos,
31:18malaki yung hirap
31:19para baguhin yun
31:20kasi may mga entrenched
31:21na na-interest.
31:23Pera ang pag-uusapan,
31:24ang problema.
31:25Sa ibang bahagi naman,
31:26meron tayong mga barangay
31:27na sinasabi,
31:28uy, nakita ko yung putrero
31:30yung ibang mga barangay,
31:31gusto kong gawin,
31:32pero wala akong puhunan
31:34or pondo
31:36para gawin yun.
31:37Sinasabi,
31:38na dapat magkaroon
31:39ng National Solid Waste Fund
31:41kung saan,
31:42yung national government
31:43may isang malaking pondo
31:44na pwedeng gamitin
31:45ng mga local governments
31:46for implementation of
31:48the provisions of the law.
31:49Nakakalungkot,
31:50after 23-24 years,
31:53wala pa ring pondong nakalaan.
32:00Pero may mga mandirigmang pumapasan
32:02sa problema ng bansa
32:04sa plastic.
32:07Ang masaklap,
32:09hindi sila kinikilala.
32:15Okay.
32:25Ang dambuhalang problema
32:27sa plastic,
32:30tahimik na pinapasa
32:31ng isang grupo,
32:34ang mga mga ngalakan
32:36o waste pickers.
32:42Sa Isla Puting Bato sa Maynila,
32:45Hungry to reach those who do not know how to swim.
33:0652-year-old father Joel,
33:09every day he goes to the river to fish for pink styrofoam.
33:18His goal is to catch a lot of plastic in the sea.
33:22How long have you been noticing that there is a lot of plastic in the sea?
33:26Since we came from the Pasig River,
33:30wherever we go, we catch a lot of plastic.
33:40These plastics,
33:43when they are saved,
33:45father Joel can sell them in junk shops.
33:48It's good that you are in the sea,
33:51because in the sea, nothing happens,
33:53except for us.
34:09In the middle of the sea,
34:12there is a lot of plastic in the sea,
34:15and it's good that you are in the sea,
34:18because in the sea,
34:21nothing happens,
34:24except for us.
34:26In the middle of the sea, nothing happens,
34:29except for us.
34:35There are a lot of plastic in the sea.
34:41What are you going to choose now?
34:44This one.
34:46I'm going to collect the minerals,
34:48because it's a different price.
34:50This is a dozen.
34:52This is heavy.
34:54I want to collect a lot of this.
34:58Because even if it's just a little, it's heavy.
35:01Yes.
35:03If it's like this,
35:05even if it's two bags,
35:07it's still not enough.
35:09It's light and heavy.
35:11Ah, okay.
35:17It's not just father Joel who walks here.
35:20Others,
35:22just walk under the houses
35:25to collect the garbage.
35:28So, for you, this is a way of life?
35:31Yes, it's a way of life.
35:33It's not illegal.
35:44In almost all places where garbage is collected,
35:47trash is found.
35:51In Rodriguez Rizal,
35:53father Elianito has been doing this for 20 years.
36:03The situation in the dumpsite is difficult and dangerous.
36:08Just like us who are poor,
36:12we just stay here in the garbage.
36:18Just a little bit more.
36:23Because of the struggles of father Elianito,
36:26the garbage that is collected in the dumpsite
36:29and possibly to the sea,
36:32is segregated and recycled.
36:35The garbage that people throw away,
36:41if it's mixed,
36:43no one will separate it.
36:47How about you?
36:49Just us.
36:51My children are the ones who choose.
36:53When I arrive here,
36:55if I tell them,
36:57they will segregate it.
37:00Do you reduce the amount of plastic that goes to the sea?
37:05Yes.
37:07We collect it.
37:09Then, we deliver it to the sea and dissolve it.
37:12In the whole world,
37:1460% of the garbage that is recycled
37:17is collected by informal waste pickers.
37:20Actually, they are our last line of defense.
37:23But that sector is not protected.
37:27Our entire recycling infrastructure
37:30would collapse without waste pickers and waste workers.
37:34And these are the people who work,
37:36whether it's raining or sunny,
37:38whether there's a storm or not,
37:39without sufficient compensation.
37:49If only support and protection were given to the waste pickers,
37:53they would be able to do more.
37:56And of course,
37:58their quality of life would improve.
38:02Three kilos of cans.
38:04Three?
38:06Three kilos of cans.
38:07Three?
38:09Three kilos of cans.
38:11Colored.
38:13One kilo of colored.
38:21One kilo of blowing.
38:29At the junk shop,
38:31I looked at the different types of plastic
38:33that waste pickers are having a hard time collecting.
38:36Sir, this is PET.
38:40This is also called PET.
38:42These are bottles of minerals.
38:44PET. How much is one kilo?
38:46The kilo that we buy,
38:48if it's clean, it's P18.
38:50If it's clean, we wash it.
38:52So this is a bit dirty?
38:54It's dirty.
38:56What we buy if it's dirty is P13.
38:58Ah, that's a big reduction.
39:00So if it's better, you clean it?
39:02Yes, we clean it.
39:03Sometimes, it's P5 per kilo if we clean it.
39:06This is PP trans.
39:08These are food containers.
39:10Yes, these are food containers.
39:12This is hard.
39:14It's not crispy.
39:16What we get from this junk shop,
39:18is P24.
39:20P24?
39:22P24.
39:24Ah, so it's better if you can save?
39:26Yes, it's a junk shop after a junk shop.
39:28Ah, okay.
39:30But in the junk shop,
39:31we only get P14.
39:33There are many other types of plastic
39:36that are bought in junk shops.
39:38But there are plastics
39:40that they don't use anymore.
39:42To be honest,
39:44if we're going to save,
39:46can we recycle almost all the plastic there?
39:49Yes, you can.
39:51Even the sachets?
39:53Yes, you can.
39:55Why doesn't anyone get it?
39:57For example, there's a lot of plastic here.
39:58Some of them are too cheap,
40:00that's why no one gets them.
40:06But there's a group
40:08that can make a big change
40:10to solve the problem.
40:25Let's go back to Romblon.
40:28In this town,
40:30almost all of the barangays
40:32have their own materials recovery facilities.
40:35And the collection of garbage is also organized.
40:42But there are limitations
40:44to the solid waste management on the islands.
40:47To establish a sanitary land here,
40:50it requires a large area of land,
40:54which is difficult for us
40:55because the land area of the municipality is small.
40:59And when it comes to recycling,
41:03the materials that we cannot process in the facility
41:07cannot be transported.
41:11For example, in Manila,
41:13where there are large recycling facilities.
41:21There is a group
41:23that can make a big change
41:25to solve the problem,
41:27even in island municipalities
41:30like Romblon.
41:33And those are the producers.
41:36The companies that buy and use
41:39plastic packaging
41:41for their products.
41:43We should also provide
41:45the producers
41:47with the materials
41:49that we use
41:51from their company
41:53so that they can hold
41:55from here
41:57going to their centralized MRF
41:59or to the recycling facility
42:01of the producer.
42:03It is not possible
42:05for the producers
42:07to hold the materials
42:09from here
42:10to the recycling facility.
42:12It is not possible for the materials
42:14to be scattered out of nowhere.
42:16And we are the ones affected.
42:20In 2021,
42:22the Extended Producer Responsibility
42:25or EPR law was passed.
42:27It obliges large companies
42:30to be responsible
42:32for the entire life cycle
42:34of their products,
42:36especially in the post-consumer
42:38or end-of-life stage.
42:41This means
42:43that they need to spend
42:45on waste prevention,
42:47cleanup, and recovery
42:49of their plastic products.
42:51In our studies,
42:53we found that
42:55more than half of the plastic
42:57that we see in our garbage
42:59is branded.
43:01We know who produces it.
43:03We know who has the ability
43:05to change
43:06and sell the same product
43:08to us
43:10without the accompanying
43:12plastic pollution.
43:14Often, we hear companies say
43:16that they are poor
43:18and they can only buy
43:20what is in the shade.
43:22But go to a grocery store right now.
43:24Even if you are a concerned consumer,
43:26you want to actually reduce
43:28your plastic,
43:30the options that the companies
43:32give you are very limited.
43:34But in the end,
43:36reducing the pollution
43:38and use of these products
43:40as much as possible.
43:42If you don't want the problem,
43:44we shouldn't create the problem
43:46in the first place.
43:48Because it is clear from the law
43:50that the barangay and the city
43:52should manage the collection
43:54of the waste.
43:56Now, if the city does that,
43:58there will be no more waste.
44:00But what we did is
44:02we just moved the problem
44:04because we have dump sites
44:06and we tried to hire
44:08the Department of Environment
44:10and Natural Resources,
44:12but they didn't let us.
44:25It's not true
44:27that people would not do the right thing.
44:29We've worked with several hundred
44:31barangays all over the Philippines
44:33and we've seen again,
44:34if people are given
44:36the right information,
44:38the right tools,
44:40and the right system,
44:42people comply.
45:04If we work together,
45:06we can find a solution
45:08and a good alternative.
45:15Why should every Filipino
45:17know about this?
45:19Because our connection to the sea,
45:21the sea needs our help.
45:24We know what's happening.
45:26Let's help it.
45:28Not just for us,
45:30but for the next generations
45:32of Filipinos.
45:34Let's help it.
45:44Let's help each other
45:46as individuals.
45:54But let's not let the government
45:56and big businesses
45:58get in the way
46:01to enforce
46:02a scenario where
46:04the problem with plastic
46:06doesn't have to be forever.
46:11I'm Ato Maraulio.
46:13Good afternoon.
46:32I'm Ato Maraulio.
47:03I'm Ato Maraulio.
47:05Good afternoon.
47:07I'm Ato Maraulio.
47:09Good afternoon.