Manila Bay Clean-Up 2018 postponed due to bad weather

FILE: Manila Bay is acknowledged to one of the finest natural harbors in the world and the best in the Eastern Asia region. It lays claim as the place where the most beautiful sunset in the world can be viewed. Manila Bay is also the catchment area of the Pasig and Pampanga River Basins whose organic pollution load from the ever growing urban centers have also earned it the distinction of being the biggest sewer in the world. (Photo by Shubert Ciencia/Flickr, CC BY 2.0)

MANILA — Harsh weather has forced organizers of this year’s Manila Bay Clean-Up campaign to defer the annual event for the safety of all volunteers who showed up at the venue, the catch basin beside the US Embassy along Roxas Blvd. here Saturday morning.

“Primarily, the reason to postpone our clean-up activity is for the safety of our volunteers from the present weather condition, as witnessed even by our participants from the Metro Manila Development Authority and the City of Manila. Baka kasi magkaroon ng surge, kasi ‘yung waves, pumapasok na sa wall (There might be a surge since the waves have begun to seep through the wall),” Catherine Villanueva, Land Bank of the Philippines First Vice President for Corporate Affairs, told the Philippine News Agency.

“Hindi rin kami makapag-set up, baka makuryente ‘yung mga tao (We could not even set up because people might get electrocuted). We took into consideration the safety of our volunteers, (our) primary and utmost reason to reschedule the clean-up activity,” Villanueva added.

The event is part of the 55th anniversary celebration of the government-owned bank.

Although, the clean-up and the EM Mabuhay ball-making activities have been deferred, Villanueva noted that the other two events, the PET bottle rescue boat-making and ecobrick chairs-making, pushed through.

The president of the Manila Bay Sunset Partnership Program, Inc. noted that they would use the ecobricks to make chairs that they would turn over to the Manila government.

The Ecobrick Program is a low-cost, low-technology and sustainable solution to minimize the use of single-use plastic wastes that pollute the ocean.

“Every 500 ml. bottle will contain 250 grams of plastic waste, although (it is a) very tedious process as we cut the plastic and put it inside the bottles. It has to weigh a minimum of 250 grams to make it into a solid and compact ecobrick. So we already placed a total of around 800 kg. of waste inside the plastic bottles,” she said.

“Gagawin natin syang (We will process them into) ecobrick chairs. We will turn them over to the Manila Social Welfare Department. They actually established a drop-in center for children of blue-collared workers of Manila. We will also find additional beneficiaries,” Villanueva said.

The Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration said Saturday that monsoon rains will prevail over Metro Manila and other parts of Luzon, as the southwest monsoon affecting the archipelago is being enhanced by Tropical Storm Karding.