The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has deployed over 2,000 Estero Rangers who clean waterways across Metro Manila and nearby regions every day, but some residents continue to dump garbage into the same waterways being cleaned—with impunity, Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna said Saturday.
Cuna made the statement in an interview on DZRH News program Special on Saturday on August 15, as part of the DZRH SONA 2026 Series featuring the DENR.
He said the Estero Rangers cover the Manila Bay Region, which includes the National Capital Region, Central Luzon, and Calabarzon, operating daily to clear garbage from the waterways and esteros that drain into Manila Bay.
“We have about a little over 2,000 all in all. Everyday. So naglilinis ‘yung mga ‘yan araw-araw,” Cuna said.
He said the frustration is that despite the rangers’ daily presence and effort, reports from the field show that some Filipinos continue throwing garbage into the very waterways being cleaned.
“Kahit na nandiyan ‘yung mga Estero Ranger, wala silang pakialam, binabato pa rin ang basura nila. Ibig sabihin ‘yung talagang with impunity, kung tawagin,” Cuna said.
He said the problem points to a deeper need for public discipline and behavioral change, saying engineering and enforcement solutions alone cannot solve the solid waste crisis if people continue to disregard their responsibility to dispose of garbage properly.
DENR Undersecretary Jonas Leones added that the Estero Rangers are part of an ecosystem of interventions that includes the EU Green Economy Program and a $100 million UAE grant for Manila Bay and Pasig River cleanup, but stressed that these resources will only be effective if citizens do their part at the household and barangay level.
