Manila Bay remains a no swim zone
Published Feb 5, 2019 02:29 pm
By Ben Rosario
There is no way swimming will be allowed in Manila Bay if the two water concessionaires of Metro Manila will continue to ignore their obligation to put up waste water facilities.
Migratory birds wander in Manila Bay (RIO LEONELLE DELUVIO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Deputy Minority Leader and Buhay Partylist Rep. Lito Atienza dared official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to “drink a spoonful” of Manila Bay water if they are convinced the water body has been cleansed.
Atienza said Manila Bay remains polluted because tons upon tons of untreated sewage poured into Manila Bay are the biggest contributors to pollution.
Atienza warned that no amount of bay cleaning or pollution prevention bid will cleanse Manila Bay until the Maynilad Water Services and Manila Water Company are able to comply with their respective responsibilities stipulated in the concessionaires’ agreement that granted the two firms Metro Manila’s water distribution business.
He chided the two firms, which are among the biggest and most profitable in the country, for complying only with less than 20 percent of their total obligation of putting up sewer treatment facilities in various points of Metro Manila and other service areas.
“What is worse is they have been charging consumers for this non-existent service for the past 21 years!” stated Atienza, former secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
“This waste-water treatment facility should be treating, processing and cleaning sewage from over two million households and commercial establishments before it is released into the bay. The bay has suffered from the lack of these facilities,” he said.
The former Manila mayor lamented that despite determined efforts by President Rodrigo Duterte to clean Manila Bay, the water remained polluted.
Hundreds of Manila residents have been barred from swimming in the bay as authorities stressed that the presence of deadly microorganisms and other pollutants have not been taken out from the bay.
“We saw thousands of adults and their children swimming in Manila Bay. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has been saying that they are cleaning the bay, but they have merely started removing the garbage and solid waste along the shores,” lamented Atienza.
Migratory birds wander in Manila Bay (RIO LEONELLE DELUVIO / MANILA BULLETIN)
Deputy Minority Leader and Buhay Partylist Rep. Lito Atienza dared official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to “drink a spoonful” of Manila Bay water if they are convinced the water body has been cleansed.
Atienza said Manila Bay remains polluted because tons upon tons of untreated sewage poured into Manila Bay are the biggest contributors to pollution.
Atienza warned that no amount of bay cleaning or pollution prevention bid will cleanse Manila Bay until the Maynilad Water Services and Manila Water Company are able to comply with their respective responsibilities stipulated in the concessionaires’ agreement that granted the two firms Metro Manila’s water distribution business.
He chided the two firms, which are among the biggest and most profitable in the country, for complying only with less than 20 percent of their total obligation of putting up sewer treatment facilities in various points of Metro Manila and other service areas.
“What is worse is they have been charging consumers for this non-existent service for the past 21 years!” stated Atienza, former secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
“This waste-water treatment facility should be treating, processing and cleaning sewage from over two million households and commercial establishments before it is released into the bay. The bay has suffered from the lack of these facilities,” he said.
The former Manila mayor lamented that despite determined efforts by President Rodrigo Duterte to clean Manila Bay, the water remained polluted.
Hundreds of Manila residents have been barred from swimming in the bay as authorities stressed that the presence of deadly microorganisms and other pollutants have not been taken out from the bay.
“We saw thousands of adults and their children swimming in Manila Bay. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has been saying that they are cleaning the bay, but they have merely started removing the garbage and solid waste along the shores,” lamented Atienza.