Social media has been saturated with reports on the hyper-polluted Manila Bay—that the rehabilitation will take seven years, that the government has allotted P47 billion for the cleanup, that Manila Zoo is one of the top contributors of pollution in a ditch that drains into the bay, that the bay will be swimmable by December, and that this is long overdue.

The famous/infamous Manila Bay badly needs help, and finally, it’s getting the attention it needs. The goal is to make the bay fit for recreation again.

Although there will be an interagency task force that would handle the nitty-gritty of bay cleaning (like bringing down coliform contamination of the bay and establishing temporary sanitation facilities for informal settlers residing around the area), the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, one of the many agencies mandated by the Supreme Court to save Manila Bay a decade ago, is urging citizens to volunteer for the cleanup drive.

MMDA Chairman Danny Lim announced that the drive will be every Saturday at 7 a.m. along Baywalk, the seaside boardwalk on Roxas Blvd. For those who want to volunteer, bring gloves, boots, water jug, mask, cap or hat, and extra clothes just in case.

For more information, you can call MMDA at 882-0870 or 882-2631 and look for Ramon Gonzales.

Featured image courtesy of Earvin Perias for Inquirer.net

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You will soon see cleaner waters at Manila Bay

Old photos from the glory days of Manila Bay before it was a “toilet bowl”