Pasay River Environmental Analysis

Envisoc Fieldwork:
Pasay River

De Padua, Marco
Hwang Hyo Jin
Marcelino, Anna
Marpuri, Paola
C32

I. Concept Map

Pasay City is one of the many cities that comprise of Metro Manila. The whole city is divided into 7 districts; further sub divided into 20 zones, and has a total of 200 barangays, as mentioned in the government website of Pasay. In the 2007 survey, the city houses approximately 405,000 residents.

Pasay City also has many establishments built within it. The city profile mentioned that a significant portion of the city is part of the so-called “tourist belt”. This, in addition to the city’s residents, affects the rate of waste production; in which case, is high. Without proper management and careful planning, these may result to diseases such as malaria, dengue and the like, floods and other environmental issues brought about by land and water pollution.

In the interview conducted, the chief-of-staff enumerated some of the actions they take to address the challenges faced with waste production. Cleaning programs, planting trees, monitoring waste collections, and imposing strict policies are some of those that he mentioned. As for the opinion of the group, the city government must reinforce these actions so as to strengthen the solutions to reduce pollution.

II. Social Inquiry Questions

The fieldwork centered on two topics: water pollution and waste disposal. The interview questions consisted of the condition of the two main creeks in Pasay and how it is currently affecting the community and on the management of waste in different barangays in Pasay. The objective of the fieldwork is to find out whether there is a connection between the two problems (water pollution and waste disposal).

1. Is water accessible to everyone in the area? 2. How is the quality of water in the area? 3. Is the sewage system directly connected to the river? 4. What are examples of water-related problems in the area? 5. How does it affect the community? 6. Are diseases caused by unsanitary water rampant in the area? 7. Are there any plans or programs that the barangay have that addresses these problems? 8. Is the waste disposal system adequate to the needs of the community? 9. What are some health related problems that the community experienced regarding improper waste disposal? 10. How does the community manage waste disposal?

III. Findings and Analysis

Pasay City

Pasay City is known as the premiere gateway to the Philippines. It is located on the western side, Manila Bay; northeast, Makati; southwest, Paranaque City. It is the third smallest city among the cities in the four districts of the National Capital Region. Generally, Pasay is characterized by coastal plains along the Manila Bay. However, just a slight slope feature of areas is seen in the southern part. Since it is along the Bay, its elevation is more or less only two meters from the sea level. This extends all along the sea sides.

Pasay city has two main creeks: Tripa de Gallina and Maricaban creeks. This is fed by nearby river basins that come from Paranaque City and Las Pinas Zapote Rivers.

According to the study made by DENR, the major rivers in Metro Manila like those in Pasay are biologically dead. This is brought about by the wastes that are emitted by the domestic, industrial and agricultural operations.

Because of its low level condition, flooding is one of the major problems experienced by Pasay City. Also, since it is located along the sea, its water is mostly affected by salty water. Due to the high level of salinity in it, it needs to be treated first before it can be suitable for drinking. Pasay City is also composed of 201 barangays. It has 20 zones and each zones have 10 barangays. Like in any other barangays in Metro Manila, waste disposal is an issue.

The group interviewed Mr. Ver M. Laranang, the Chief of Staff of the Liga ng mga Barangay in Pasay.

Water Pollution

Water pollution is a rampant problem in cities and areas that are near or surrounded by bodies of water. Water pollution negatively affects the way of living of individuals. It affects the community’s quality of life, drinking water, habitat and recreation.

Since Pasay City is surrounded by different bodies of water, it has been experiencing different water-related problems. One of the major problems they have been experiencing ever since is flooding, especially since the country has been experiencing strong typhoons. One solution that Pasay did to address this problem is to intensify the cleaning of the canals in the city. Also, in times of flooding and strong typhoon, the city officials immediately asks the citizens living near water areas to evacuate their homes and go to the schools that are assigned for this purpose. The city and all its barangays also implemented Disaster Reduction Management.

Currently, Pasay also has potable water because of the Pasay Wastewater Treatment Facility. It is part of Maynilad’s Sewerage and Sanitation Master Plan. Pasay sewage system project, water quality, project updates and development timeline are included in the project.

Pasay is also getting a lot of support from the government and other agencies that address different problems they are experiencing with their bodies of water and sewage system as well. Maynilad said that some of the pipes have been prone to leakage and breakage due to old age that’s why it is going to be replaced.

Waste Disposal

Waste disposal is an integral part of a community since it ensures not only the cleanliness but also the safety of the citizens. Improper waste disposal can lead to different health risks such as contamination and other diseases.

For Pasay, the measures they have for managing waste is a regular collecting of garbage throughout the whole city.

IV. Conclusion

Improper waste disposal has been one of Metro Manila’s biggest environmental problems. Since almost all the cities in Metro Manila are over populated, citizens are producing so much garbage but are not disposing it properly, leaving lying on the ground, creating a dumpsite or disposing it to different bodies of water. Improper waste disposal, if not addressed or treated properly, can lead to other things and worsen its effect on the environment.

One major effect of improper waste management is water pollution. Water resource is an essential part of a community. Sewage systems are directly affected by waste disposal that can cause flooding. Also, these sewages contaminate the rivers and lakes since it is directly connected to it. When the source of water is polluted, the water quality becomes poor which then endangers the lives and livelihood of individuals. Pasay, being surrounded by rivers, creeks and bay, is suffering from water pollution. The city government has been passing laws and different project to address this problem. Government data showed that 10% of the 4,100 metric tons of waste generated by the residents of Metro Manila are dumped into rivers and lakes.

Everything in the environment is interconnected. One small thing leads to another and can become a huge environmental problem that communities will face. Improper waste disposal leads to water pollution. These two major problems of Pasay, as well as most cities in Manila are connected in a way that one can be treated if the other one is treated as well. The solution to these problem, as what Pasay is doing, is to have a strong city government that supports and addresses these kinds of problems and to encourage all the citizens to seek and to put effort into saving the current state of the environment where they live in.

V. Sources http://www.shecrog.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=62&Itemid=64 http://www.pasay.gov.ph/Photo%20Gallery.html https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:sqkorKJ5TPoJ:www.pasay.gov.ph/Pdf/socio-eco/Physical%2520Environment2.pdf+&hl=en&gl=ph&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESgeY6h9Lb0fa4rYsBavasikYxB2AoE08_W0L_h9luC9y7lNcUJZ0djFsOHbBWKD2aGypRlbaN24d2e4yy5jZB9VrOdg8RNr0-o8ZthSNugJyk2DDQksbLGeTsBb4atGljk5IEyn&sig=AHIEtbQRVwnMjFVR3bXzkSafyh0ieMCMdg http://www.getamap.net/maps/philippines/quezon/_pasayriver/ http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/8217856-the-impacts-of-improper-solid-waste-management-to-our-environment http://www.studymode.com/subjects/improper-waste-disposal-in-the-philippines-ncr-page1.html http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/inquirerheadlines/nation/view/20090628-212790/DENR-Improper-waste-disposal-still-rampant http://www.environmentalpollutioncenters.org/water/causes/