Boracay, however, is not the only place suffering from polluted waters in this archipelago of 7,100 islands. All over the country, many other bodies of water are polluted – seas, rivers, lakes and creeks – not only turning the areas into eyesores and degrading the environment but also endangering public health and the nation’s food supply. Bodies of water in Metro Manila and many other urban centers are no longer fit for aquatic life or recreational activities because of solid waste and toxic industrial sludge. Pollution is endangering even the fresh water supply in a country with abundant water resources. Cholera is supposed to have been placed under control, but the potentially deadly affliction still crops up periodically especially in coastal areas where fecal matter is released directly into the sea.

The other polluted waters. (2018, February 18). The Philippine Star, p. 14.