The Philippine government has entrusted the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to spearhead the rehabilitation of Manila Bay. President Rodrigo Duterte is allocating PHP 47 billion (USD 893 million) to support the clean-up. The funds are expected to be obtained from road users’ tax upon abolition of the Road Board.
According to the DENR the rehabilitation process would tentatively be a 7-year plan although they also said that there isn’t a final completion date as it will be a time-consuming process and dependent on how the bay responds to the treatments. DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu hopes to finish the project by the end of Duterte’s term in June 2022.
Manila Bay is only one of the many spots in the Philippines that is undergoing a series of clean-ups and rehabilitation. This project was long overdue for nearly 10 years, pending since December 2008, when the Supreme court issued a mandamus stating that 13 government agencies should spearhead the clean-up of Manila Bay.
Furthermore, President Duterte released a statement saying that he would not think twice about ordering establishments to close down if they are found violating any regulations on proper waste disposal such as water treatments, filtration, etc. The Manila bay Rehabilitation will commence on January 27, 2019 at The Manila Yacht Club.
(Sources: Philippine Star; CNN Philippines; The Manila Times)
