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Gray sand is seen at the edge of the extended dolomite sand on the shore of the portion of Manila Bay near the United States Embassy along Roxas Boulevard, Manila City, Wednesday, October 14, 2020 RICHARD A. REYES / INQUIRER
MANILA, Philippines – Manila Bay cannot be declared clean simply by observing its condition in an area, the director of the University of the Philippines Institute of Marine Sciences (UPMSI) said on Thursday, a day after the Chief Justice, Diosdado Peralta, said that he is satisfied with the efforts of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to clean up the contaminated bay.
UPMSI Director Dr. Laura David noted that although there has been an improvement in the state of Manila Bay compared to previous years, a “science-based” assessment must first be conducted before declaring clean waters of Manila Bay.
“So it’s necessary, let’s monitor not just one place, but other places in Manila Bay to check if it’s clean, no more coliforms, no more heavy metals and other pollutants,” David said in an interview with ABS-CBN. News Channel.
(So we need to monitor not just one area, but other areas in Manila Bay to show that the water is already clean, if there are no coliforms, heavy metals, and other contaminants.)
“Then we can also adjust our management and interventions if you still need to. Because as of now, if you only measure one point in Manila Bay, Manila Bay is 204,000 square kilometers. You can’t say anything about Manila Bay from just one point, ”he added.
(By doing this, we can also adjust management and interventions if we still need them. Manila Bay is 2,400 square kilometers. Nothing can be said about the state of Manila Bay from a single point).
On Wednesday, Chief Justice Peralta said he is pleased with DENR’s efforts to comply with a 2008 Supreme Court order to clean up polluted waters from Manila Bay, noting improvements made by the treatment plant. DENR sewage plant that processes dirty water from “estuaries” (streams) before it flows into the bay.
“The purpose of the continual mandamus is to clean the water. If they ask me if I am satisfied, I am satisfied because the water is clean, ”said Peralta.
“I saw the wastewater treatment. The water that came out was clean, ”he said, citing the water treatment plant engineer report that the fecal coliform level was now 49 most probable number (MPN) per 100 milliliters, which is below the required minimum level. of 200 MPN / 100 ml. .
“That means that the water discharged into the bay from the estuaries is already clean,” he also said.
David, however, noted that the water in Manila Bay should be clean before it can be opened to the public, as contaminated water can pose health risks.
“Beautiful places always invite a lot of visitors and if the place is beautiful but the water is not clean, this exposes more of our Kababayans (compatriots) to skin problems, lungs, etc.”, he said.
/ MUF
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