CNN Philippines highlighted the fact that they’re amongst the top 5 polluters, referring to the striking example of a young goosed beaked whale that died in the Davao Gulf as researchers pulled out approximately 90 pounds of plastic from inside it.
Norwegian ambassador to the Philippines, Bjørn Jahnsen stated that around 8 million tonnes of plastic is discharged into the ocean every year.
He continued that everyday it’s calculated that 48 million plastic bags are used in the Philippines, amounting to 17 million of plastic bags annually, while many of these end up in the ocean.
Referring to the beaked whale, the Ambassador noted
The curious thing about this beaked whale, is that the same type of whale also died in Norway two years ago, also from plastic.
He highlighted that this type of whales only dive because of thirst; Therefore, the amount of plastic in the whales stomach makes it impossible to digest food and also deprives it of water.
Moreover, the Norwegian ambassador noted that as Norway faces the same challenges, the Norwegian Government in the coming years will spend a lot of money and work with the World Bank, as they also do in the Philippines, to find a solution to the problem.
The Ambassador stated that there’s no moral solution to this problem. He continued that in Norway, nowadays, most of the garbage is incinerated by the municipalities, a solution that seems to being adapted also in the Philippines.
Concluding, the Government, the private sector and people themselves have to cooperate to tackle pollution in the Philippines, whereas companies should reduce their waste.
