'No swim zone' strictly enforced in Manila Bay
By Erma Edera and Ellalyn De Vera-Ruiz
Policemen were deployed Wednesday to prevent people from swimming in Manila Bay which authorities declared remains unsafe due to high levels of fecal coliform.
BACK TO THE BAY – A throng of beachgoers line the shore of Manila Bay in Manila Sunday, ignoring government warnings that its waters are still too polluted to swim in. Its condition is expected to improve after a campaign was launched to go after the establishments that have long been dumping untreated wastewater into the bay. (ALI VICOY / MANILA BULLETIN)
Manila Police District chief Vicente Danao Jr. said that 15 to 20 members of the Manila Police District were assigned around the vicinity of the Manila Bay to make sure that no one would go beyond the barricade and attempt to swim in the bay.
“Walang violation at penalty po kasing pinapataw kapag nagswimming sa Manila Bay kaya pinapaalala at pinagsasabihan lang namin ‘yung mga tao na hindi pa susceptible ang tubig sa area,” said Danao.
“Kaya humihingi po kami ng tulong sa DENR (Department of Environment and Natural Resources) at local government to implement peace and order at paglalagay ng barrier around the bay,” he added.
The Manila Bay Inter-Agency Task Force has declared Manila Bay as a no-swim zone to pave the way for its rehabilitation.
“Bathing in Manila Bay can expose people to high levels of fecal coliform bacteria, which could increase their chances of developing illnesses. Government has not yet given the all-clear signal for swimming,” DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu said.
Fecal coliform are bacteria associated with fecal material from humans and other animals. They enter bodies of water from sources, such as direct defecation or sewage overflow.
Cimatu issued the warning after photos and videos of people, including children, bathing in the waters along Roxas Boulevard in Manila circulated online.
After the clean up drive last Jan. 27, photos of a visibly cleaner” Manila Bay went viral.
Cimatu said the clean up activity, while laudable, had only addressed surface trash.
The DENR chief cited that as of Jan. 28, water monitoring stations set up along the bay area have registered fecal coliform levels measuring as much as 35 million most probable number (mpn) per 100 milliliters (mL), specifically taken from the Rajah Soliman outfall (Station 5).
DENR's Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) has set up eight water quality monitoring stations along Roxas Boulevard, between the United States Embassy and the Mania Yacht Club.
Another sampling station set up at the Padre Faura drainage outfall (Station 2) registered a fecal coliform count of 7.9 million mpn/100 mL.
The standard coliform level for coastal waters that is safe for swimming and other similar recreational activities is at only 100 mpn/100 mL.
“We have not yet gotten rid of pollutants, such as those from untreated wastewater being discharged into the bay, so we strongly advise the public, especially children, to refrain from swimming in the bay for now,” he reiterated.
As for the water sampling in the other stations along Baywalk, the fecal coliform count in mpn/100 mL is as follows: Station 1 beside the United States Embassy, 3,100; Station 3 in front of Diamond Hotel, 7,900; Station 4 at Carpel Shell Export and Museum, 2,400; Station 6 in front of Metrobank near Grand Hotel, 2,400; Station 7 in front of Admiral Hotel, 3,300; and Station 8 across the Quirino Avenue stoplight, 13,000.
The Department of Health had earlier also warned that it is not safe to swim in Manila Bay, citing health issues.
Diseases and illnesses that can be contracted in water with high fecal coliform counts include typhoid fever, hepatitis, gastroenteritis, dysentery and ear infections.
More than conducting cleanup activities, Cimatu said the real challenge was in addressing sources of water pollution, such as sewage or untreated wastewater being discharged either directly into the bay or via its tributaries.
DENR had previously reported that the coliform level in Manila Bay had reached as much as 330 million mpn/100 mL, which is 3.3 million percent over the standard.
EMB had also monitored extremely high coliform counts in 11 outfalls draining into the bay in 2018.
For instance, Malate’s Estero San Antonio de Abad outfall, which drains into a portion of the bay within the Manila Yacht Club area, registered 1.36 billion mpn/100 mL.