One of my frequent visitors (Miles) send me a picture of some funny Filipino writing / warning.
It might be an idea for our new president Noynoy Aquino to release some of those animals in the creeks and canals in the Philippines. And at the same time put similar warnings but also in tagalog.
Lots of Filipinos still have the habit of throwing their garbage in creeks, rivers and canals. The rain must wash this garbage away. But they do not realize that sewer systems and so on get clogged, causing flooding in the streets and their houses. Lots of Filipinos are blaming the government for the floodings and clogged sewer system. I know it sounds funny, but confronting the Philipinos with this kind of warnings is the only way to teach them for not doing it anymore.
Filipino time:
Wow! Brings back memories of San Fernando, walking accross a bridge there and seeing the garbage! What a mess!
I was struck by the willingness to just throw everything on the ground or in the river.
Well, it is a cultural thing. I don’t stand here to judge. I think they are coming along and I hope that the Philippines never becomes a carbon copy of America.
The last time I was in Manila it was better than I remembered.
That is why I love Iloilo so much is the emphasis on keeping things more green.
The Rotary club promotes a very clean enviornment there.
I do also love Antipolo! I stayed there the last time I was in the Philippines and loved the people there.
Realistic Pictures of the Philippines. Thanks
Thanks Randall for the comment.
One of the major contributory factor causing this garbage problem in the country is the alarming rate of using plastic bags. As these kind of material takes a very long time to decompose, the Philippine government should promote and require people to use paper bags and bags made of cloth materials instead of plastic.
Agree, some supermarkets like SM have those ‘green’ bags for the shoppings.
We used to bring some baskets and bags from home when we go to the supermarket. In the beginning people were watching us with strange eyes. When we explained the cashier and the packing boy they were listening carefully and by now all cashiers and package boys know already: no plastic bags for THAT kano !. We hope to do OUR part in making Filipinos aware that there is too much plastics in the Philippines.
Jan,that is a very good example to show to fellow citizens on how to help in containing this growing problem with the garbage management, perhaps SM could further push the drive in minimizing the use of plastic by giving discounts to people who will bring their own bags (but not of plastic materials of course) when buying groceries and shopping at the mall.
Miles,
SM has started it some time ago. Hopefully others are following this.
You mean with the discounts? I think SM-Baguio haven’t done that yet considering the serious situation faced by the city government in coming up with a new dumpsite. As of present garbage in the city is being dumped somewhere in Tarlac because the old Irisan dumpsite is no longer functioning, this set back is costing the city millions of peso just to transport the garbage as well as with the money used to pay the host province where the garbage will be dumped.
SM could help more by providing more bins around its mall. I can walk around for 10 min or more with something in my hand looking for a bin
Christopher,
Garbage bins is something what the Philippines need. But I am affraid if they are too nice, they will be stolen from the streets and used for something else or just sold as scrap materials.
In most cities you will see lots of street sweepers, even along high ways to clean the streets from thrown McD packages, soda cans, plastic cups and all other stuff people like to throw on the streets. When it is raining much of this garbage goes strait to the sewer system which will be clogged >> flooded streets. People do not realiza that thecause of flooding is 90% their own behaviour.
Smokey Mountain had duplicated itself in different places around the Philippines which only implies garbage management system in the country is not really working. Change could only happen if the people and the government would willingly change their ways.
The local citizenry should; minimize the use of plastic, follow garbage collection schedules in ones community, support and obey segregation programs when disposing personal waste at home, and avoid littering or irresponsibly just throwing waste materials in the surrounding.
On the part of the government agencies/officials concerned; Garbage management system should be 100% implemented 24/7 and not only during emergency situations, Better dumping sites and incinerators should be provided and maintained and the money allocated to it should be used to where it was intended (Stop realigning these budgets just to serve ones personal interest!), garbage recycling programs should be improved and more research and materials should be introduced.
Let us love our country, don’t just leave garbage to take care of itself. As the Filipino saying goes “Ang basurang ikinalat mo, Babalik sa ‘yo”.