Big Companies offered to help clean Manila Bay and Other Rivers

In a previous post, we mentioned that the government has plans in rehabilitating the Manila Bay. Several other rehabilitations happened in our country like the one in Boracay and the Lake in Siargao. However, since the Manila Bay is one of the known locations here in our country.

Many have already contributed in helping clean up Manila Bay, from volunteer workers to government employees, all did their best to help change Manila Bay for the better. Good news continuously sprung about the said effort since now, even big companies here in the Philippines are now offering help in cleaning up Manila Bay and other waterways.

According to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu, one of the country’s biggest shopping malls offered to adopt and volunteer to clean rivers within the metro that exits into Manila Bay. This company or shopping mall? No other then the Sy’s SM.

SM, a well-known shopping mall, as Cimatu stated, would be in charge of adopting the Paranaque River and makes sure it’s clean and maintains that way.

On the other end, Beverage Company San Miguel Corp. offered to take care of the Tullahan River located on the north side of Manila according to Cimatu.

What has been done currently?

As of this time, clearing the three drain channels that exits and empties to Manila Bay is underway already. Experts are hoping to be able to retain and make sure to regulate the channel at Manila Yacht Club.

Now, while the cleanup of Manila Bay is done by volunteers, the companies still pledged to maintain and adopt the river to make sure it doesn’t go back to the ways that it was. The said companies will be paying for the cleaning of the other rivers they adopted as well which has large amount of garbage that even small boats can’t even get through. Cimatu said that these river, aside from carrying garbage to Manila Bay is also the source of flooding in Metro Manila.

Read: Philippine Railway Network to be up for Expansion for Economic Policy

He also said that among all of them, the hardest to clean would be the Tullahan River since its very low and really dirty compared to the others.

Other waterways

Although the rivers mentioned above are those that primarily exit out to manila bay, there are some as well which are being catered and adopted still by big giants even though they are a bit far away from the bay.

Lucio Tan, one of a business titan here in the Philippines, offered to take care and be responsible for a river in Navotas City.

Marikina River, on the other hand is being adopted by another businessman, Andrew Tan of Megaworld Corp.

What other things will they do aside from the cleanup and maintaining the cleanliness of the river?

Manila Bay rehab
Image was taken from The Philippine Star | Philstar.com

Although their primary goal is to make sure the rivers is always cleaned and garbage is fetched out, they also need to take precautionary measure to make sure that garbage in sewers wouldn’t exit into the bay.

Cimatu said that they will ensure that everything will be cleansed for the betterment of the country.

We will make sure all rivers will be cleaned and dredged and that all esteros will be cleaned, and all informal settlers, who can’t be relocated, will be provided sewage system

With what Cimatu said, he is clearly emphasizing that they are one step ahead in terms of planning the bay clean in the future.

Read: People Who Commute in Pasig, Brace Yourselves for the Traffic Because it Will Worsen Because of Road and Bridge Repairs

As he mentioned in his speech, he is now better prepared to handle the cleanup of Manila Bay after experiencing and helping out the rehabilitation of Boracay Island in Aklan last April.

What are your thoughts on this? Seems like everyone is doing their part. Even one helping hand can mean a lot, so us, as citizens should also do our part and make sure we are not littering and throwing garbage just anywhere.

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