WATER POLLUTION IN THE PHILIPPINES: CAUSES AND SOLUTIONS

I. INTRODUCTION

The Philippines or the Republic of the Philippines is a country comprised of 7,107 islands in

Southeast Asia in the western Pacific. The country is surrounded by water: the Luzon Strait, the

South China Sea, the Celebes Sea and the Philippine Sea. According to the United Nations,

uncontrolled, rapid growth of population has contributed to extreme poverty, environmental

degradation and pollution in the Philippines.

The article Ive read states that the major problem encountered by the Philippines now is the

water pollution. The increased of population, urbanization, agriculture and industrialization have

all reduced the quality of water in the Philippines. According to the article the government

continues to try to clean up the problem, implementing fine to polluters as well as environment

taxes, but the problem still not solved.

There are different organization and people that tries to come up with different solution to help

this problem. Just like the Greenpeace Philippines and the World Bank theyve come up with

different concepts that can help slowly resolving the problem.

There are also group of nine Filipino artists that painted watercolor portraits with sterilized

pigments from six polluted rivers in Manila. They made money by selling the portraits then the

money theyve collected goes to the organizations that help clean the rivers, thus reducing the

water pollution in the Philippines.

II. ANALYZE

According to the Water Environment Partnership in Asia (WEPA) increased population,

urbanization, agriculture and industrialization have reduced the quality of water in the Philippines.

The Greenpeace reports that the water pollution in the Philippines is mostly wastewater from the

following resources:

a. Industrial the metal varies according to industry lead, mercury, chromium, cadmium

and cyanide.

b. Agricultural organic decayed plants, dead animals, livestock manure, soil runoff and

non-organic pesticides and fertilizers.

c. Domestic sewage contains pathogens that threaten human health and life.

d. Other sources oil, mine or chemical spills and illegal dumping in or near water.

According to WEPA, water pollutions effects cost of the Philippines approximately $1.3

billion annually. The government continues to try to clean up the problem, implementing fine to

polluters as well as environmental taxes, but many problems have not been address.

According to government monitoring data, up to 58 percent of the groundwater tested was

contaminated with coliform and approximately one third of illnesses monitored during a five-year

period were caused by water-borne sources. But one of the most alarming things Greenpeace

reports is that out of the Philippines 421 rivers many as 50 rivers are considered dead and unable

to support any but the most robust life.

In addition to this, during the dry season, many areas experiences water shortages. And one

river in the Philippines is on the list of the 10 most Polluted Rivers in the World the Marilao

River.
III. ACTION TAKEN

Greenpeace has been working to develop a solution to water pollution in the Philippines. The

organization supports the Clean Production context in which the public has a right to know which

toxins they are exposed to in their daily lives. The Pollutant Release and Transfer Register (PRTR)

also deals with water quality and is a national or regional environmental database or inventory of

potentially hazardous chemical substances and/or pollutants released to air, water and soil. It also

contains information on materials that are transferred off-site for treatment or disposal.

According to Greenpeace Philippines, the concept of Clean Production is a new way of

looking at production and consumption patterns. The concept of producing consumer goods in

this way entails:

1. The elimination of all hazardous chemicals at all stages of production and the seeking of safe,

sustainable alternatives.

2. The reduction of waste generated.

3. The decreasing of the need for raw materials and energy.

4. The utilization of clean, renewable energy sources in the production process and design.

IV. SUGGESTED SOLUTION/RECOMMENDATION

If I were to give a solution or recommendation I would suggest the following:

a. Each one of the member in the community should be responsible in disposing their garbage

properly.

b. A community or barangay should implement an ordinance to give punishment to those who

are throwing their waste anywhere especially people near the rivers or sea.

c. Implementation of waste segregation must be a must to all the people in a community or a

barangay.
 d. There should always be a clean-up drive in the rivers or seas near your community or

barangay.

e. Everyone should know how to recycle waste that can be recycle so that garbage can be

lessen and the recycle materials can be of use.

V. REFLECTION

While I was making this case study Ive realize that as generation passes water pollution is

becoming more and more danger to the world. The result to this seas and rivers are becoming dead

and cannot be of help to human health and life. If we keep this up the world may die along the

people living in it. As we all know the mass of water on Earth is much greater than the mass of the

land.

Water has an important role in our life, we can survive long enough with just water. It keeps us

hydrated and fueled to do things in our daily life. We must help one another to prevent water

resources from dying because if that happens we may die also. If we compare our lives from the

lives in Africa we are grateful because we have water to drink. While, the people there fight hard

to find to drink.

Therefore, people should practice in keeping our environment clean especially the water

resources.

VI. REFERENCE

http://www.borgenmagazine.com/water-pollution-in-the-philippines/

http://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2013/04/08/philippines-manila-third-sewerage-

project

http://www.wepa-db.net/policies/state/philippines/overview.htm
 A

CASE STUDY

IN

ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCE

PRESENTED BY:

JUAN B. CANTIGA

PRESENTED TO:

MR. GERALD T. MALABARBAS