If you think one list has nothing to do with the other, think back to high school science class—and you may recall the Earth’s water cycle and how everything is connected. Rivers empty into oceans, transporting water, organisms, nutrients … and trash. “The Philippines alone contributes around one-third of the global total,” reads the horrifying report. At the very top of the list is the Pasig River, with the Tullahan River tied for No. 2. Given that China’s Yangtze river, which used to be considered the world’s top emitter of waste, is more than 250 times the length of the Pasig, one has to wonder how things got so bad.

Romulo, R. R. (2021, June 25). The once mighty Pasig River. The Philippine Star, p. B4.