Photos of a cleaner and brighter Manila Bay have been circulating after the clean-up efforts last January 27. Around 5,000 volunteers and government workers put in the work to clear up the coastline. Simultaneous clean-up activities were also being held in Navotas, Las Piñas, Cavite, Bulacan, Pampanga, and Bataan.
(1) Sands have finally surfaced! This is the new face of Manila Bay coastline in Roxas Boulevard following a historical clean-up drive on Sunday that hauled tons of garbage. pic.twitter.com/9oe0yoLM45
— Michael Joe Delizo (@michael_delizo) January 28, 2019
To give you a clearer picture of the change that’s been made, we have these photos comparing Manila Bay today to what it was beforehand.
According to ABS-CBN, hundreds of bags were filled with trash by volunteers in just a few hours.
There’s finally space for children to (safely) play along the Bay!
People are even brave enough to swim in the waters! Although that might not yet be advisable since the contamination level has probably not been fully dealt with.
However, netizens have brought up that Manila Bay clean-up’s are nothing out of the ordinary. There is an effort made at least once a year to ‘rehabilitate’ the area. It works for a while but pretty soon people start littering again and establishments continue to violate regulations. While this year’s effort is already showing great progress, it will only matter if it’s able to be sustainable.
(LOOK: Thousands volunteer to begin the rehabilitation of Manila Bay)
To continue improving Manila Bay hopefully the traction doesn’t die down with the hype. People and corporations should remember to keep proper waste regulation in mind. Further clean-up sessions will be held each Saturday for the foreseeable future and will hopefully still see a loyal group of volunteers. Also, local government units in the area should enforce environmental regulations with vigilance.
What else can be done to keep Manila Bay clean and healthy?Â
