MANILA —The Department of Health (DOH) has called on the public to refrain from taking a dip in Manila Bay as a way to cool off the summer heat, warning them of the various health risks.
“Doon po sa mga lugar na medyo malapit sa ating siyudad dito sa ating Manila (Bay), huwag po sana dahil talagang pong maraming makukuha diyan (Do not swim in areas particularly in Manila Bay because there are illnesses that can result from swimming there),” DOH Undersecretary Enrique Domingo in an interview with the media Friday.
Domingo added that the public will be better off to take a swim in public pools maintained by local government units.
“Kaya sana po yung mga bata na init na init na, meron naman po tayong mga public swimming pools sa mga municipalities at mga syudad (For children who really want to swim, there are several swimming pools maintained by municipalities and cities),” said Domingo.
Domingo said the water in Manila Bay is 100 times dirtier than that of Boracay’s.
“Mas marami pong sewerage system ang nag-drain into the ocean sa Manila Bay na pagkalaki-laki kesa sa Boracay na isang isla lamang (There were more sewerage system draining into the ocean of Manila which is bigger than Boracay, which is just one island),” he said.
One may possibly get skin disease when you plunge into the dirty waters of Manila Bay, Domingo said.
A person may possibly be predisposed to wound infections, diarrhea, cholera, typhoid fever, Hepatitis B, among others, if they accidentally swallow water while swimming in the bay, he added.
The City of Manila has passed an ordinance which prohibits the public from swimming in Manila Bay.