Manila, Aug. 18 -- With monsoon rains persisting mostly in Luzon, scenes of flooded streets and homes, and stranded commuters have become an all-too-common sight in recent days. However, an image that perhaps stood out among these is that of the virtual sea of garbage in Paranaque City.

According to the city government of Paranaque, over 200 trucks of garbage have been collected at the Redemptorist Water Channel as of Aug. 15, following days of continuous rains. The tons of waste were said to have worsened flooding in the city, with Department of Public Works and Highways Secretary Vince Dizon calling it a "garbage crisis." President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. also inspected the site, acknowledging the problem.

Sadly, we Filipinos have be...