House probe sought on Manila Bay’s ‘continuous pollution’

MANILA, Philippines — The “continuous pollution” of Manila Bay has prompted a senior administration lawmaker to call for an inquiry into the status of the bay’s rehabilitation. 

Dasmariñas City Rep. Elpidio Barzaga Jr., chairman of the House committee on environment and natural resources, authored House Resolution 247 seeking a legislative inquiry into its status after President Duterte ordered a cleanup of the bay in January. 

The Chief Executive ordered a comprehensive rehabilitation of Manila Bay after the six-month closure of Boracay island in Aklan turned out to be a success in 2018. 

Duterte ordered the relocation of informal settlers and immediate shutdown of establishments that continue to pollute and poison the waters of Manila Bay, including the tributaries leading to it. The government allocated P1.35 billion for the rehabilitation.

Barzaga said it was ironic that since the Supreme Court (SC) ordered a cleanup of the bay in 2008, Manila Bay continues to be the “most polluted in the country, serving as a giant waste dump for the metropolis and adjacent cities.”

An inter-agency task force headed by Secretary Roy Cimatu of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources has been tasked to implement the bay cleanup.