Another Philippine tourist spot will soon get a makeover of its own.
Yesterday, the chief of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said that they plan to rehabilitate Manila Bay, just as it did with Boracay.
“We are preparing for an all-out strategy to bring the coliform concentration in Manila Bay to a safe level so that the people who reside near the bay will enjoy its waters and marine resources without fear of getting sick,” Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said, as quoted in multiple reports.
Rappler reported that Cimatu promised to have the “same level of political will” in rehabilitating Manila Bay, once the jewel of the Philippine capital.
While many locals and tourists still visit the bay walk, it’s not exactly a pleasant experience because the water is littered with trash.
Trash from the bay routinely covers Roxas Blvd. beside it whenever waves and flooding during a typhoon prove to be too much.
Most low-income families prefer buying products in sachets rather than in bulk, which is why the Philippines has a huge problem with single-use plastics, many of which end up in the bay.
READ: It’s a Small World: Living sustainably in the Philippines’ sachet economy
Apparently, the goal of the DENR is to make the bay so clean that people can swim and go skin diving in it, the Manila Bulletin reported.
At the moment, doing such activities in Manila Bay is unthinkable. If the smell and sight of garbage do not immediately put you off, maybe knowing how high its fecal coliform level will.
According to a report by the DENR, it has reached over 330 million most probable number (MPN) per 100 milliliters, way beyond the safe level of 100 MPN/100ml, the Manila Bulletin reported.
In April, the Philippine government controversially shut down the tourist favorite Boracay island for 6 months in order to counter overdevelopment and improve its waste management system after President Rodrigo Duterte called it a cesspool.
Like in Boracay, the DENR plans to take down establishments along Manila Bay that do not follow environmental regulations, The Philippine Star reported.
Manila Bay has a coastline 190 kilometers and is bounded by Cavite and Metro Manila on the east, Bulacan and Pampanga on the north, and Bataan on the west and northwest.
According to Cimatu, they will establish a Manila Bay Command Center which will be in charge of offices in Malabon-Navotas, Manila, Pasay-Parañaque, and Las Piñas.
These offices will have DENR personnel who will work with local government units in overseeing and implementing clean up activities, The Philippine Star said.
According to the Manila Bulletin, the Environment department will also turn to technologies that could treat the water that has been polluted by human waste from the surrounding shanty neighborhoods.
They also plan to work with authorities in going after those who violate environmental laws.
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