Global non-profit organization The Ocean Cleanup has officially reached the shores of the Philippines with its groundbreaking 30 Cities Program, marking a major milestone in the country’s fight against ocean-bound plastic pollution. Manila joins major global cities such as Los Angeles, Mumbai, and Panama City as part of the program’s initial rollout, planned to start in 2026. The initiative will focus on the waterways that feed into the Manila Bay, wherein over 90% of collected waste from the area is reportedly composed of hard and film plastics, according to a study done by EcoWaste Coalition, KOICA, DENR, and De La Salle University-Dasmarinas. The 30 Cities Program is an initiative to accelerate the organization’s efforts to intercept and remove ocean-bound plastic pollution across 30 key cities in Asia and the Americas, aiming to eliminate up to one-third of all plastic flowing from the world’s rivers into the ocean before the end of the decade.

The Ocean Cleanup to deploy plastic waste Interceptors in Manila Bay Region in 2026. (2026, January 21). DailyGuardian, pp. 10, 8.