LGUs, barangays ordered to conduct weekly clean-up drive in Manila Bay

FILE: Manila Bay is acknowledged to be 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)

To speed up the rehabilitation efforts of Manila Bay, the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) ordered 178 local government units (LGUs) and 5,714 barangays to conduct weekly clean-up drives in Manila Bay starting January 27, Sunday.

In a memorandum released on January 24, the DILG directed LGUs and villages near Manila Bay to do such activities “to fulfill their roles and responsibilities pursuant to environment laws that contribute to the rehabilitation of Manila Bay.

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Under Section 20 of Republic Act (RA) No. 9275 or the Philippine Clean Water Act of 2004, LGUs  shall “share the responsibility in the management and improvement of water quality within their territorial jurisdictions.”

Stated in Section 17 of RA No. 7160 or the Local Government Code, meanwhile, barangays should provide “services and facilities related to general hygiene and sanitation, beautification, and solid waste collection.”

“The collective efforts and commitment of the LGUs and barangays within the Manila Bay Watershed Area would spell the difference in the rebirth and preservation of our Manila Bay,” Interior Secretary Eduardo Año said.

To double the efforts in cleaning the bay, LGUs and barangays can also seek the help of volunteers, non-government organizations (NGOs), civil society organizations, and academe, among others, according to the DILG chief.

“As we all know, Manila Bay is polluted and partly, we have ourselves to blame.

But it’s not too late, we can still make amends. Sabay-sabay at sasama po nating buhayin ang ating (Altogether, let us revive our) Manila Bay,” he added.

All concerned villages should submit a post-activity report on the clean-up drive to their respective Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Officers every Tuesday of the succeeding week.

Included in the said report are as follows: volume of collected solid waste in kilograms, barangays covered, length of area covered expressed in meters, list of attendees and total number of volunteers, photo documentation, and details on the waste’s disposal.

The Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) said that around 1,000 of its employees will join the kick-off activity to clean up the popular bay on Sunday.

The plan to rehabilitate Manila Bay came after President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to shut down establishments near the bay if they will not install proper water treatment systems.