ENVIRONMENT Secretary Roy A. Cimatu insists that rehabilitating Manila Bay can be done, as he bared plans to target “billionaire” esteros to bring down the coliform level in the country’s historic body of water. This, even as he acknowledged that the real, long-term solution is for the private water concessionaires to fulfill their commitment to fix sewer lines in their respective areas in order to prevent the discharge of dirty water into Manila Bay.
“The long-term plan is the presence of the sewer lines all over Metro Manila. This is the mandate given to the concessionaires, Maynilad and Manila Water. The completion of all this will be in 2037. That is our problem,” Cimatu said.
Since 2037 is a long way off, Cimatu explained his agency needed to do something in the meantime. “Unless we can accelerate this one…We need to start really. We should shorten this as much as possible. We should do something. The problem is coming from esteros in Metro Manila. The condition of the esteros, if I will describe it, we have two billionaire esteros,” he said, referring to the coliform level of the water.
The former Armed Forces Chief of Staff said he and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will find a way to prevent the direct discharge of untreated wastewater into at least four esteros in Metro Manila, all of which lead out to the Board Walk area in Manila Bay, while waiting for the private water concessionares of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS)—Manila Water and Maynilad Water Services Inc.‚to fix sewer lines in their respective areas.
A former DENR secretary, Buhay Party-list Rep. Lito Atienza, had stressed in a forum last week that the government should prod Maynilad and Manila Water to fulfill their mandate to set up proper sewer lines within a shorter time frame. This is the only way to clean up the bay as it prevents the discharge of untreated wastewater, Atienza said.
For his part, Cimatu said he will target the most polluted esteros in Metro Manila, by cleaning the esteros of garbage and preventing the direct discharge of untreated wastewater from households and business establishments.
“I accept the challenge to rehabilitate Manila Bay. If nobody else will do it, who will do it? I am optimistic that it can be done. I hope that all of us join us in this endeavor that will save Manila Bay,” Cimatu said.
The short-term target, he said, is to improve the quality of water by reducing the coliform level in Manila Bay by the end of 2019.
The long-term target, he said, is to make the water of Manila Bay safe for bathing and swimming.
Using its regular budget for the implementation of Clean Water Act, the DENR will work on targeted esteros, including the Pasig River, to bring down the coliform level in areas in Manila Bay, particularly along Bay Walk to “100 most probable number per 100 milliliters” (MPN/100 ml), the level safe for swimming.
Water in some portions of Manila Bay, particularly fronting the Board Walk, right now register coliform levels of up to 333 million MPN/100 ml.
Cimatu said the DENR will count on the support of all stakeholders—particularly local chief executives and the private sector.
He said the DENR has received offers from industries to help out.
“I was asked, and I am even grateful for the offer of assistance from heads of industries to help us in this. There were offers and suggestions, including the use of resources. What we will do, by January 15, is to present the problem and probable solution and receive the offer of assistance,” he said.
According to the DENR chief, he has already asked the National Mapping and Resource Information Authority to come up with a map of all esteros in Metro Manila to identify the problem esteros.
“If we will be able to contain this pollution we can reduce the reading…just like what happened in Boracay. Those coming out in Bulabog Beach, we were able to prevent it and reduce the coliform level,” he explained.