skinny-dipping in manila bay, anyone?

I read an article on the pollution of Manila Bay, which costs about Php 4 billion annually as a consequence of degradation. The major causes, as the article expounded: overfishing, pollution in coastal areas—thereby limiting tourism and other recreational uses—results in this equivalent monetary loss.

It seems that Nick Joaquin’s much celebrated Manila Bay in his book “Manila, My Manila,” with its envied picturesque sunsets and ideal natural harbor, appears to be too polluted and degraded now—much to his lament.

I remember a former geologist colleague of mine narrated to me: in a previous project he was involved in at the Manila Bay they dug a borehole underwater to get a soil sample. The boring sample revealed that prior to reaching the soil and mud strata, on top of it lay roughly a meter thick of compact plastic material—probably accumulated from years of pollution.

I don’t know about you but I’d think twice before eating any fish—or even seafood for that matter—caught from the Bay, much so if served in Metro Manila restaurants.

And rehabilitation over the years has seen little progress. Interventions have been and are still being done, yes; but up to now, it seems that solutions are still meandering at the level of coordinating between the different cities and provinces (including Metro Manila, Bataan, Pampanga, and Cavite), trying to concert efforts towards saving the bay rather than pursuing concrete actions. Why don't they just act already? If they had already done so, maybe their actions would have already yielded some positive outcomes.

Like former Energy Secretary Rafael Lotilla, I believe reversing the environmental degradation of the Bay is possible, but it’s not going to be as easy as pushing a button to flush waste down a toilet.