The national government has partnered with the Netherlands-based non-profit The Ocean Cleanup to launch a five-year initiative aimed at removing floating plastic from the Pasig River and establishing rigorous scientific data sharing.

The agreement, signed this week by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), will deploy low-cost innovative technologies to conduct baseline situational analyses on local waterways.

"The Pasig River has carried the burden of our consumption habits for far too long," said DENR Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna. "We cannot allow this river to remain a pipeline of plastic to the ocean. This agreement is a decisive step toward breaking that cycle."