P47-B Manila Bay Rehab Begins January 27

All eyes are on Manila Bay as the government has started preparing for its rehabilitation which will begin January 27.

Benny Antiporda, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary, declared that the administration is allotting P47 billion for the project. Additionally, part of the budget will also be used to find appropriate relocation sites for the families living near the bay.

The total budget may even increase to P132 billion, according to Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo. Also, he added that the road users tax for government projects will be used as funds for the project.

“That’s only part of the road users tax. Malaki ‘yung road users tax (Road users tax is large),” he said.

The special Road Board fund has P45 billion, which can also be used to finance hospital needs and help Tropical Depression Usman’s victims.

Same Process as Boracay Rehabilitation?

Similar to Boracay’s rehabilitation, the government won’t hold back in closing nearby establishments along Manila Bay if they are found guilty of violating environment rules.

“The policy of the government is if you violate certain regulations, you need to pay for that.,” Panelo said.

“Kung anong ginawa natin sa Boracay, yun din gagawin natin sa lahat (What we did with Boracay, we will do with the rest.)”

In his speech, Duterte even warned hotels near the bay about their waste disposal systems.

“Lagyan niyo ng water treatment yan…You do something about your waste otherwise I will close you,” he said.

Although the exact completion date is not yet determined, DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu hopes to get the job done by the end of Duterte’s term in June 2022.

“No specific timeline, depende ‘yan eh (it depends). What is important to the President is that he will clean up Manila Bay,” he said.

Extreme levels of coliform have been found in the 2,000-square kilometer Manila Bay. This is largely due to bacteria coming from waste spilled by the estuaries in Metro Manila, said Cimatu.

The DENR secretary also said that the long-term goal is to make Manila Bay’s water safe for swimming. Meaning, the current coliform level of 333 million most probable numbers per 100 milliliters (MPN/100ml) must be reduced to 100 MPN/100ml.