A la Boracay Manila Bay rehab

Long before President Rodrigo Duterte called the seawaters of Boracay as “cesspool” in describing one of the country’s most popular tourist destinations, another famous landmark in the Philippines was once dubbed in 2005 by a government environment official as one “big sewer.” Last Monday, incumbent officials of Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) headed by DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu announced plans of the Duterte administration to undertake an “a la Boracay” rehabilitation of the coliform-infested Manila Bay to save it from total degradation.

A report from the DENR Environmental Management Bureau showed the fecal coliform level in Manila Bay has reached over 330 million most probable number per 100 milliliters, way above the safe level of only 100 MPN/100ml.

Located in the heart of the country’s capital city, the DENR announced – or should we say threatened – to undertake a massive rehabilitation of the Manila Bay of Boracay-scale. It took almost six months during which the government closed down for rehabilitation the world-renowned Boracay island resort. It was re-opened back to business and tourists only last October.

Cimatu vowed to exercise the same level of political will that they did in Boracay to clean up the entire stretch of the Manila Bay that spans across the National Capital Region, Central Luzon and Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, Quezon).

Although he warmly welcomes the planned Manila Bay rehabilitation, Buhay party-list Rep. Lito Atienza could not help but express skepticism on the announcement of Cimatu on how to carry this out. Atienza noted with apprehension why the DENR Secretary’s comprehensive rehabilitation plans did not mention specific timelines of what and how the clean up of the Manila Bay will be done.

“Congratulations Mr. Secretary. But you cannot clean it unless you require the two water concessionaires to provide what they have committed – wastewater treatment to convert it to as clear water as this bottled drinking water,” Atienza said.

He particularly cited the Ayala-owned Manila Water Co. Inc. and the Maynilad Water Services Inc., the two water concessionaires of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) that divided between the two utilities the water service areas of Metro Manila into East and West zones, respectively.

It was Atienza – then as DENR Secretary during the term of former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo – who ruefully described Manila Bay as a “big sewer” for all the garbage and wastes in Metro Manila and surrounding areas. It was under his watch as DENR Secretary when he led petitioners in filing a mandamus case before the Supreme Court (SC) to clean up the Manila Bay.

In 2008, the High Court issued a continuing writ of mandamus, ordering 13 government agencies to clean up Manila Bay and restore its water quality to Class SB or safe for recreational activities such as swimming. Class SB waters are also suitable for commercial propagation of shellfish and as spawning areas for milkfish and other similar species.

So, it was not an empty rhetoric from Atienza. He recalled his personal crusade to save the Manila Bay – known for its iconic “sunset” attraction – started during his stint as Mayor in the city of Manila for three consecutive terms. He elevated his crusade to save the Manila Bay when he later served as DENR Secretary.

 The Manila Bay – the inland body of water that we see running parallel along Roxas Boulevard – is actually just a portion of the long stretch of the bay area covering Metro Manila where the picture-perfect “sunset” is a daily awesome sight.

Saving the Manila Bay was a fitting discussion that we had with Atienza as  guest of our weekly breakfast news forum. Proudly carrying its name as Kapihan sa Manila Bay for the past four years already, we hold it every Wednesday at the Café Adriatico in Remedios Circle in Malate, located at the “back street” of the Bay Area.

“Let’s talk about the clean up of the Manila Bay. This is the Manila Bay forum. The DENR said they will clean it up like they did in Boracay. That’s a lot of crap that they are talking about,” Atienza quipped. “They cannot do it because the Manila Bay is dead,” he rued.

Atienza pointed to the outflow of the sewer lines that go directly to the Bay coming from the toilets and kitchens of households and all the industrial wastes of establishments all over Metro Manila. “And they mix with the water of the Bay and this is the one killing the waters,” he pointed out.

A part of the DENR’s strategy, according to Cimatu, is to ensure compliance with environmental laws of local government units (LGUs) surrounding the Manila Bay area. A Manila Bay Command Center will be created to oversee the zonal operations of four field offices to be set up in six coastal cities in Metro Manila: Malabon-Navotas, Manila, Pasay-Parañaque and Las Piñas. The field offices will be manned by DENR personnel who would closely coordinate with city or municipal environment officers to ensure that cleanup activities and programs are carried out and sustained.

As explained by Cimatu, the DENR will look for technologies that would effectively treat water of pollutants. And also seek assistance from law enforcement agencies in going after violators of environmental laws, especially those who discharge untreated wastewater into the Bay.

Just how these measures could save Manila Bay remains uncertain.

Aside from years of water pollution, Atienza fears the planned new reclamations around Manila Bay are yet the latest threats to its popular sunset view. According to him, there are at least five reclamation projects that each seek to extend the land farther out from the existing Manila Bay breakwater areas that we see along Roxas Boulevard.

Atienza is worried that such reclamation projects would reduce Roxas Boulevard to a “back street” of the over-extended Manila Bay area. But that is another story altogether. For now, the immediate task at hand is to implement a la Boracay rehabilitation to save the Manila Bay from its ignominious “big sewer” tag.