'To save Manila Bay, clean up Bulacan river first'

MANILA, Philippines - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said yesterday that any effort to revive the Manila Bay will not succeed unless the 55-kilometer Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando (MMO) river in Bulacan is first rehabilitated and maintained.

The US-based Blacksmith Institute, an independent environmental group, classified the MMO river as among the world’s “30 dirtiest.”

The river continues to receive at least 133,000 cubic meters of untreated wastewater and 400 tons of garbage each day, said DENR regional executive director Antonio Principe.

“Government efforts to rehabilitate Manila Bay will be put to waste if water quality from the MMO river system does not improve because its waters eventually drain into the 1,800-square kilometer Manila Bay area,” he said.

Principe said “lead smelters, jewelry and gold refineries, tanneries, livestock raisers, and textiles and garments factories are among the top polluters of the river system.”

He said “what we need is to put our acts together to clean up our mess and stop the never-ending stream of trash that has choked the entire river system.”

Environment Secretary Jose Atienza is set lead 1,000 volunteers in a massive cleanup drive of the MMO river system tomorrow in line with the annual observance of World Water Day and Philippine Water Week.           – Ding Cervantes