9,000 join Manila Bay cleanup

MANILA, Philippines - About 9,000 people joined forces yesterday morning to observe the 30th International Coastal Cleanup Day by removing 11 trucks of garbage from the waters of Manila Bay.

Students and personnel from local government units, Philippine Coast Guard, Armed Forces of the Philippines, Philippine National Police, firms with offices near the bay such as H2O Hotel and Land Bank of the Philippines took part in the cleanup, PCG spokesperson Commander Armand Balilo said.

He said the effort to clean up Manila Bay is beginning to bear fruit.

 “I have noticed
 improvement in the state of the Manila Bay. Aside from the fishermen who ride their boats out to the middle of the Manila Bay where they catch fish, there are now folk with fishing poles who spend time near the walls for some fishing. Even the birds have returned. I have been seeing birds looking for food like small shrimps,” Balilo said.

He said most of the trash came from informal settlers living near the bay, such as Baseco Compound in Manila, and from “establishments that have direct sewage outlets to the Manila Bay.”

Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada, the event’s guest of honor, said the presence of more than 9,000 individuals shows their commitment to be part of a program to return the city’s coastal areas into what they used to be: “Clean, green and litter-free.”