‘Cleanup ship to boost Manila Bay rehab’

MANILA, Philippines — Efforts to boost the Manila Bay rehabilitation are expected to be strengthened with the inauguration yesterday of a South Korea-donated marine cleanup vessel that enhances the Philippines’ capacity to collect floating waste, protect coastal ecosystems and respond to pollution.

Donated through the Korea International Cooperation Agency, MV Nilad is designed for continuous cleanup operations.

The ship was delivered under the $8.2-million Enhancement of Marine Litter Management in Manila Bay Project, a five-year partnership between the Philippines and South Korea that seeks to enhance marine litter management capacity.

President Marcos noted that Manila Bay is an iconic body of water that has supported trade and has stood witness to generations of Filipinos who built their lives along its shores.

He said the bay “remains one of the country’s most environmentally stressed water bodies” as floating plastics and marine debris have accumulated in its waters, threatening marine life, affecting the health of nearby communities and disrupting economic activities.

Marcos said the Philippines and South Korea had launched the project to respond to the challenge posed by the lack of a dedicated vessel capable of continuous marine litter collection, waste retrieval and emergency oil spill response.

“The MV Nilad is a reflection of the friendship and cooperation between the Philippines and South Korea. It reminds us that when nations work together, challenges can be met with lasting solutions,” Marcos said in a speech read by Transportation Secretary Giovanni Lopez yesterday.

Named after the native mangrove nilad, the 25-meter, 101-ton vessel has a trash skimmer for collecting floating debris, a deck crane for handling and unloading waste and an oil boom for rapid response to oil spill incidents.

The vessel can collect, sort and store up to 10 tons of marine litter in a single operation and can operate for up to 400 hours annually.

The vessel will be operated by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and Philippine Coast Guard.

Marcos was supposed to lead the vessel’s inauguration, but canceled his attendance at the event to monitor the rally held by the Iglesia ni Cristo on EDSA. — Andrew Ronquillo