It may not end up like the turquoise waters of Boracay or El Nido, but the hyperpolluted Manila Bay would at least be swimmable after a major rehab by the end of the year, officials promised on Saturday. An interagency task force will attempt to bring down coliform contamination of the bay to acceptable levels with a P47-billion “Manila Bay Action Plan,” said Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu. In a statement on Saturday, Cimatu said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) would try to reduce the bay’s fecal contamination to make it suitable for swimming and other public activities by December 2019.

Gascon, M. (2019, January 13). DENR: Manila Bay swimmable by December. Philippine Daily Inquirer, p. A2.