Weeks back, the DENR announced that it would start the Herculean task of cleaning up Manila Bay, until it becomes “swimmable” once again. And after a week of removing tons and tons of garbage floating in the nearby sections of Manila Bay, residents “discovered” that there was a beachfront after all in some portions beside the Roxas Boulevard baywalk. The Manila Bay restoration and rehabilitation project is a lot more difficult because it would require the relocation of thousands of informal settler families living in the banks of esteros and rivers, as well as the communities in the Manila Bay shoreline, from Navotas in the north to Cavite City in the south. Secretaries Cimatu and Ano should implement the President’s directive without let-up and compel the mayors of the towns and cities that contribute to the mega-cesspool that is Manila Bay to do their part. The same goes for Laguna Lake Development Authority CEO Joey Medina, the former mayor of Pateros.

Banayo, L. (2019, February 6). Saving the bay. Manila Standard, p. A5.