麻豆社

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is washing up on coral reefs close to the Philippine capital, Manila. According to an estimate by the Asian Development Bank, during the peak of the Covid-19 outbreak, the city could have been generating up to 280 tonnes of extra medical waste per day. Environmental groups are warning that the plastic inside face masks is breaking down and being consumed by marine wildlife. They鈥檙e urging the Philippine government to improve its handling of infectious waste, to prevent further pollution of the seas.

The 麻豆社鈥檚 Howard Johnson joined divers from Anilao Scuba Dive Centre, a group affiliated to the United Nations Environment Programme鈥檚 Green Fins, which promotes sustainable marine tourism in South East Asia.

(Photo: Underwater shot of diver and disposable face mask. Credit: Mark Badiola)

Video produced by Howard Johnson and Virma Simonette.
Additional camera work: Mark Badiola and Jojo D. Lontok.