An area of the Manila Bay may be declared fit for swimming by the end of the year or even earlier, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said on Saturday.
With the many projects of Manila Mayor Francisco Domagoso, who has made the city’s cleanup a priority, it would make rehabilitation work easier and quicker, Cimatu said.
Cimatu inspected the baywalk and walked from the part of the bay near the US Embassy to the Manila Yacht Club.
Six months since the Manila Bay rehabilitation officially started, Cimatu said there have been improvements in the water quality and that while there is still trash, it’s visibly less compared to that in previous years.
That portion of the Manila Bay, while a popular viewing area for sunsets, became a dumping area and ts water quality deemed unsafe for swimming.
Cimatu said he was happy with the effects of rehabilitation efforts so far.
Cimatu said with the onset of the monsoon season, cleanup efforts may prove more difficult, but he assured that rehabilitation work, including dredging at the bay, would continue despite the rainy season.
The Manila Bay cleanup campaign began earlier this year after President Rodrigo Duterte warned establishments along the bay to comply with environment regulations or face closure.
Some 40,000 families living near the bay were also major contributors to pollution, according to the city government.