Cleaning-Up Manila Bay

The rehabilitation of the Manila Bay, the international gateway to the Philippines, is being pursued by the government, assisted by civic and non-governmental organizations. Manila Bay, famous for the beauty of its sunset, is the country’s busiest port. It has its place in history – the setting for the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898 and the siege of Corregidor by invading Japanese forces in 1942.

The Bay’s water quality and its ecosystem, however, continue to be destroyed by pollution, siltation and sedimentation, and unchecked development. The Supreme Court has given concerned government agencies – the Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA), the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) – deadlines to enforce its December 18, 2008, ruling to rehabilitate Manila Bay and make its waters safe for swimming and other forms of recreation.

By June 30, 2011, the MMDA and DPWH should come up with the list of informal settlers along the rivers of Pasig, Marikina, San Juan, Parañaque, Las Piñas, Zapote, Navotas, Malabon, Tullahan, and Tenejeros – all of which directly drain into Manila Bay. The MMDA was given until December 31, 2015, to demolish illegal structures along riverbanks and waterways connected to the Bay.

The DENR is the implementing agency for the Operational Plan for the Manila Bay Coastal Strategy (OPMBCS), drawn in partnership with national government agencies and other sectors in coastal and watershed areas in Central Luzon, Southern Luzon, and National Capital Region. By the end of June, 2011, DENR should have submitted to the Supreme Court an updated OPMBCS, as well as summary on the overall quality of the Manila Bay waters, and names and addresses of companies in Metro Manila, Rizal, Laguna, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Bataan that generate toxic and hazardous waste. Local governments whose rivers drain into Manila Bay will join in the effort to remove illegal structures.

The government, assisted by private groups, is determined to make Manila Bay’s waters clean and clear – an undertaking that requires commitment, concerted effort, and political will.