Metro Manila is moving toward stricter littering penalties, with authorities pushing a ₱5,000 fine as cities prepare their own ordinances following garbage buildup in waterways such as the Redemptorist Water Channel in Parañaque.
The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority said the Metro Manila Council approved a ₱5,000 fine for littering in Metro Manila cities, while Pateros will impose a ₱2,500 penalty. The measure still requires ordinances from each local government unit before implementation.
MMDA Chairman Romando Artes said the agency is waiting for the ordinances and will follow up during the next council meeting.
The push comes as cleanup operations continue at the Redemptorist Water Channel, where garbage accumulated after heavy rains from the enhanced southwest monsoon or Habagat. The MMDA deployed additional equipment and a skimmer to stop waste from returning to the sea during high tide.
“Tuloy-tuloy po tayo doon. Nagpadala po tayo doon ng additional equipment at skimmer para po wag bumalik ‘yung basura kasi po pag high tide baka bumalik sa dagat pumunta,” Artes said.
President Bongbong Marcos visited the Diokno pumping station in Pasay and the Redemptorist Water Channel, calling the garbage situation “critical” after waste floated in parts of Manila Bay and its tributaries.
Marcos said tougher penalties must come with a proper waste disposal system.
“Ang problema kung minsan, walang basurahan. Walang pupuntahan, walang paglalagyan ng basura,” Marcos said.
The President also said the government is working on a waste-to-energy system, with the Department of Energy expected to hold an auction in the coming months. Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said repeated cleanup operations are not sustainable and called for drastic solutions.
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso said the city continues drainage improvements in areas including Taft Avenue, PGH, Kalaw, UN, Abad Santos and España.
The ₱5,000 penalty now depends on local ordinances, while the wider challenge is whether tougher fines can be matched by waste systems and infrastructure that keep garbage out of waterways.
