Manila Bay is “alive and vibrant” with functioning ecosystems to support marine life and the livelihood of fisherfolk, but it is under threat from 21 projects to reclaim land nearly as big as two Metro Manila cities, which could cause massive flooding, water contamination and loss of fishing grounds, according to key findings of a scientific study released on Wednesday. The “most fundamental impact” of the proposed and approved reclamation projects is the change in the natural flow of water currents in the bay, causing contaminants to “likely stay within reclamation sites,” said Charina Repollo, one of the 48 scientists and experts from the Marine Environment and Resources Foundation Inc. (MERF).

de Villa, K. (2025, May 1). 21 Manila Bay reclamation projects equal area of 2 cities. Philippine Daily Inquirer, pp. A2, A3.