Chasing sunsets by the bay

Like every millennial engrossed with social media, I also like to chase sunsets. It's a blockbuster in every Instagram feed and a fan favorite on Facebook. Personally, I love how the colors of the different hues of red, orange, and yellow merge together to become one beautiful picture. It is a manifestation of the greatness of our Creator. My boyfriend and I like to visit places and take photos of these sunsets with us taking turns to do silhouette back shots.

One particular sunset caught my attention and it has been the talk of the town. Since the president ordered a full clean-up of Manila Bay, life has started to spawn in the area. We can now see birds flying around the area and another hue of color in the bay. I remember back when I was a child, our frequent trips to Manila would always include the bay in our itinerary with my cousins. I dreaded going to the bay; the stench was just too much.  In three weeks’ time, I'm slated to go back to Manila and I can't wait to see the bay as it is now.

Although I understand it is just the icing on the cake. There is still more to be done and more establishments need to stop throwing their waste to the sea. Who would have thought that this could be done? It only took political will and power. In the first place, the local government unit should be held responsible for the state of the environmental resources that we have. Their disregard of making sure rivers and all other natural gems should make them accountable for the mess they have made. It is part of their jobs not only to take care of the people and its governance, but also to take care of the environment.

I like how we are slowly gaining consciousness on the importance of our natural resources. It is cliché that we only have one Earth to live in. The question now is where will all the trash from Manila Bay go? Of course there are landfills to dump them in but there must also be another way. If we can only make do with waste and turn it into energy with minimum burning then it would be a win-win situation for everybody. I am in one in pleading with the rest of the environmental advocates that we should take care of what we have right now. The next generation might not be able to enjoy this.

Although not swimmable at this time, Manila Bay remains to be an example of the many things will can do. I can't wait for it to turn into another sought-after attraction in the already polluted metro. I hope we all join efforts and reflect upon what we have been doing in the past days when it comes to our waste. When it comes to decision making on trash, I hope we all become conscious that biodegradable is better. It wouldn't take long before our natural resources returns to its beauty, I just can't wait.