The government has embarked on what seems to be an impossible mission of cleansing and rehabilitating Manila Bay.
It’s a daunting task that many equate to reviving the dead.
Just like when President Duterte warned people of the closure of Boracay Island, not a few raised an eyebrow and laughed it off.
But Manong Digong was not be cowed by unscrupulous business operators who are directly responsible for much of the island’s environmental degradation.
The restored original condition of Boracay Island and its coastal waters proved Manong Digong right in his decision to shut down tourism operations for six months, as recommended by the original members of the inter-agency task force.
Now here he is again taking on a Goliath in the form of a decades-old problem that no previous Malacañang tenant even imagined doing. Not one even took seriously rehabilitating the Pasig River that runs by the Palace.
Cleaning up Manila Bay is, to many, a gargantuan undertaking as intimidating as eliminating illegal drug dealers and widespread addiction in the country.
But the Duterte leadership will not be intimidated and will stop at nothing to bring about change to alleviate the quality of people’s lives.
Manila Bay is not primarily a tourist spot like Boracay. Rather, it is one huge economic zone, more than three times the size of Metro Manila with a coastline that traverses four regions. It is a scenic and historic gateway to Manila.
Saving Manila Bay means hope for better life for millions of people who live by this great expanse.
It is not a Mission:Impossible although it may take years beyond Manong Digong’s term of office. It is up to us, the whole village, to accomplish it.