MANILA: Virgilio Estuesta has picked through trash in the Philippines’ biggest city for four decades, and is noticing an unusually large amount of plastics during his daily trawl of about 15 km (9.3 miles).
Tough curbs re-imposed to combat a surge in daily coronavirus infections are squeezing income for the 60-year-old, as many of the junkyards and businesses in Manila that buy his recyclables have been closed since March.
Plastic items, such as bottles and containers, dominate the contents of the rickety wooden cart Estuesta pushes through the deserted streets, far more than metals and cardboard, yet the money they bring in is not enough to get by.
“It’s been really hard for us, it’s been difficult looking for recyclables that sell high,” he said.
“Recently we’ve been seeing a lot more plastics, but the problem is they don’t really sell high.”
Environmentalists say the Philippines is battling one of the world’s biggest problems stemming from single-use plastics, and ranks among the biggest contributors to plastic pollution of the oceans. It has no reliable data for its plastics consumption.
Greenpeace campaigner Marian Ledesma said consumers and businesses are now using yet more single-use plastics, in a bid to ward off virus infections.
“The pandemic has really increased plastic pollution,” she added. “Just because there’s a lot more people using disposables now, due to misconceptions and fears around transmitting the virus.”
Since March 16, Manila has experienced lockdowns of varying levels of severity, in some of the world’s longest and tightest measures to curb the spread of the virus.
They are taking a toll on Estuesta, who hopes to start earning soon.
“When you go out, the police will reprimand you,” he said. “I was stuck at home and had to rely on government aid, which was not enough. I had to resort to borrowing money from people.”
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Philippine trash trawlers earn little from virus-boosted surge in plastics
Philippine trash trawlers earn little from virus-boosted surge in plastics
Beijing vows ‘measures’ after CIA Chinese-language recruitment ad
- Chinese-language video appears to target disaffected officers and appeals for information on China’s leaders and armed forces
- China’s foreign ministry condemns what it called ‘anti-China forces’ and vows action to protect national security
BEIJING: Beijing will take “all necessary measures” against foreign espionage activities, the foreign ministry said Friday, after the US spy agency issued a recruitment video targeting Chinese military personnel.
The CIA’s Chinese-language video, published on the agency’s YouTube channel on Thursday, appears to target disaffected officers and appeals for information on China’s leaders and armed forces.
China’s foreign ministry condemned what it called “anti-China forces” and vowed action to protect national security.
“China will take all necessary measures to resolutely combat infiltration and sabotage activities of foreign anti-China forces and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a press conference when asked about the CIA video.
He did not provide any details on the measures Beijing could take.
The video depicts a fictional Chinese officer deciding to contact the US intelligence agency after concluding that “the only thing leaders are protecting is their own interest” and that “their power is based on countless lies.”
It shows the officer at home with his family, then driving past a checkpoint in pouring rain before taking out a laptop in the car and typing on it as he says: “Picking this path is my way of fighting for my family and my country.”
Chinese text accompanying the clip appeals for leaks on Beijing’s leaders and military as well as other areas.
“Do you have information about high-ranking Chinese leaders? Are you a military officer or have dealings with the military? Do you work in intelligence, diplomacy, economics, science, or advanced technology fields, or deal with people working in these fields?”
“Please contact us. We want to understand the truth,” the text says, adding that the CIA can be contacted “securely through our Tor hidden service.”
The latest appeal came after the agency released a number of videos last year that its Director John Ratcliffe said were aimed at recruiting Chinese officials.
They are “just one of many ways that we’re adjusting our tradecraft,” Ratcliffe said.
Beijing condemned the posts at the time as “naked political provocation,” saying Washington “not only maliciously smears and attacks China, but also openly deceives and lures Chinese personnel to surrender.”
The CIA’s Chinese-language video, published on the agency’s YouTube channel on Thursday, appears to target disaffected officers and appeals for information on China’s leaders and armed forces.
China’s foreign ministry condemned what it called “anti-China forces” and vowed action to protect national security.
“China will take all necessary measures to resolutely combat infiltration and sabotage activities of foreign anti-China forces and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests,” foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a press conference when asked about the CIA video.
He did not provide any details on the measures Beijing could take.
The video depicts a fictional Chinese officer deciding to contact the US intelligence agency after concluding that “the only thing leaders are protecting is their own interest” and that “their power is based on countless lies.”
It shows the officer at home with his family, then driving past a checkpoint in pouring rain before taking out a laptop in the car and typing on it as he says: “Picking this path is my way of fighting for my family and my country.”
Chinese text accompanying the clip appeals for leaks on Beijing’s leaders and military as well as other areas.
“Do you have information about high-ranking Chinese leaders? Are you a military officer or have dealings with the military? Do you work in intelligence, diplomacy, economics, science, or advanced technology fields, or deal with people working in these fields?”
“Please contact us. We want to understand the truth,” the text says, adding that the CIA can be contacted “securely through our Tor hidden service.”
The latest appeal came after the agency released a number of videos last year that its Director John Ratcliffe said were aimed at recruiting Chinese officials.
They are “just one of many ways that we’re adjusting our tradecraft,” Ratcliffe said.
Beijing condemned the posts at the time as “naked political provocation,” saying Washington “not only maliciously smears and attacks China, but also openly deceives and lures Chinese personnel to surrender.”
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