Easier said than done

President Duterte has warned hotels situated along the coastline of Manila Bay to install their own respective water treatment facilities, or he would shut them down. He has ordered DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu and DILG Secretary Eduardo Año to initiate the cleanup of Manila Bay.

A task force similar to that of the Boracay rehabilitation is being considered, although I doubt if they can close the bay and its tributaries. We all know how much garbage washes back into the bay after a typhoon or torrential rainfall. The garbage is so thick you could walk on it. Tons of the filth are carried away in numerous trucks to Lord-knows-where.

But does the garbage that washes back in come from the hotels? Don’t they originate from somewhere else? The government should first determine where all this garbage is coming from, and address it right away. I am all for hotels having their own water treatment facilities and not just dump them into the bay.

In fact, Duterte's actions with regards to safekeeping the environment are laudable, such as the recent six-month closure of Boracay. However, the disposal of garbage into the sea has to be stopped, otherwise nothing will come of this cleanup drive. Fortunately, Duterte did not push through with his campaign promise of dumping the corpses of one hundred thousand criminals into Manila Bay, to supposedly fatten up the fish.

But to clean Manila Bay is to first clean up the Pasig River. The Pasig River connects Laguna de Bay to Manila Bay. The river snakes through Metro Manila, essentially dividing it into two halves, with all its residents along the edges. The river also receives water from other rivers, such as the Marikina and San Juan Rivers.

Many have seen fit to just throw their garbage into the rivers, and God knows what else, which we will not mention here. If everything ends up in Manila Bay, then no amount of cleaning will do.

Laguna de Bay likewise deserves the same attention. Since the Pasig River is considered a tidal estuary – meaning its flow depends on the water level difference of the two bodies of water, it too has to be cleaned. Laguna de Bay is home to many fish pens, and to many residents as well, bringing with them their respective garbage.

Let’s face it, ordering the cleanup of Manila Bay is much easier said than done. Through the years we have seen attempts at cleaning up these rivers, with no results whatsoever. For as long as the government will not crack down on people and establishments improperly disposing of their garbage into rivers, then a clean Manila Bay glistening in the sunset, with personal leisure boats traveling up and down Pasig River may be nothing but a dream.