Three days from now, the Manila Baywalk will be closed for any swimming activity, at least for the next six months.
This is because the Department of Environment and Natural Resources plans to put up a perimeter fence along the beachfront to prevent people from swimming in the polluted waters while rehabilitation is ongoing.
“We are about to close the swimming area. We did not anticipate the influx of people. We are closing the beachfront,” said DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu, who led the inspection of the bay and ordered to block the shoreline from the United States Embassy up to the Manila Yacht Club with orange plastic barriers, which will be replaced by a four-foot fence.
The fence will be built along the seawall of the Manila Baywalk—the seaside public walkway overlooking Manila Bay along Roxas Boulevard.
The fence will cover the area starting from the Manila Yacht Club to the US Embassy. The DENR said the construction of the fence will start in the next three days, while the Baywalk beachfront may be closed for six months.
Cimatu, however said that people can still view the Manila Bay sunset.
“Ang iko-close lang su’yung tubig but Baywalk will still be open.”
“Hindi lang puwede pasukin ‘yung tubig kasi paano ka maglilinis kung may mga nagsi-swimming?” he said.
Cimatu added that due to its high level of coliform bacteria, the Manila Bay is unsafe for bathing.
The DENR chief said that though the fecal coliform count in the swimming area of Manila Bay has improved from 330 million most probable number (mpn) per 100 milliliters to only 7.5 million mpn/100ml, the levels are still far from being safe for swimming.
The standard coliform level for coastal waters which is safe for swimming and other similar recreational activities is at only 100 mpn/100ml.
The Department of Health earlier made the same warning to the public because the area is still unsafe and polluted.
An 11-year-old girl, a grade six pupil from Adriatico, Manila, is now in critical condition at the Ospital ng Maynila’s intensive care unit after nearly drowning while swimming with her friends at the Manila Bay last Tuesday.
Attending physicians continued to remove the excess fluid in her lungs.
“Bathing in Manila Bay can expose people to high levels of fecal coliform bacteria, which could increase their chances of developing illnesses. Government has not yet given the all-clear signal for swimming,” Cimatu said.
In 2008, the Supreme Court issued a writ of continuing mandamus ordering the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and 12 other agencies to restore the waters of Manila Bay “as safe for regular use by the public for activities.”
The DENR chief had vowed an “across-the-board” crackdown against Manila Bay polluters.
“No establishment that is polluting Manila Bay will be spared from the crackdown. We will make sure all establishments will go through inspection and the violators will have to pay the price for polluting the environment,” he said.
The agency through the Laguna Lake Development Authority shut down establishments found dumping untreated wastewater into the Manila Bay.