Thousands of Manila Businesses May Be Closed Amid Garbage Crisis

More than 4,500 businesses around Manila Bay could face closure for violating environmental laws as the Philippine capital fights a garbage crisis, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said.

“No matter how many times we clean the shoreline of Manila Bay, the garbage always comes back. We have to start addressing it at the source,” Cimatu said at a forum organized by Stratbase, a Manila-based consultancy group.

Workers collect thousands of dead fish among rubbish along Manila Bay in Oct. 11.

Photographer: Ted Aljibe/AFP via Getty Images

The heavily polluted Manila Bay, which has a coastline of 190 kilometers and connects 17 major river systems in the capital and nearby areas, is being cleaned and should be 80% complete in the ...