The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) in the Philippines has fished out over 45 tons of garbage as authorities start a massive cleanup drive to rehabilitate the heavily-polluted and foul-smelling Manila Bay famous for a scenic sunset view.
Data released by the MMDA said a total of 45.59 tons of garbage were hauled up by 11 garbage trucks on the first day of the cleanup campaign.
About 5,000 people joined the so-called solidarity walk along the Manila Baywalk to dramatise the start of the project dubbed “Battle of Manila Bay.”
The project will cost the government 42.95 billion pesos (US$817.6 million) in the next three years, according to government estimates.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said it plans to restore the heavily-polluted bay to its “pristine” state. The bay, which runs in the strip of Roxas Boulevard, is contaminated with human faeces and trash coming from sewage.
The DENR has prepared for an all-out strategy to bring the coliform concentration in Manila Bay to a safe level so that millions of people who reside in the bay region and neighbouring areas will enjoy its waters and marine resources without fear of getting sick, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said.