Musing at Manila Bay

Three weeks after the kick-off of the cleanup drive of the popular Manila Bay, I decided to visit the area to see what the buzz is all about. Why not? The cleanup was the talk of town and in social media because of the drastic improvement since the start of the rehabilitation. It even attracted people to swim in its waters. However, it is not encouraged due to sanitary reasons.

When I arrived early Saturday morning, I can see that the rehabilitation drive was sustained. There were booths in the bay walk area to monitor the progress and maintain order.

That day, several groups were there – groups of friends to an entire staff of a company were present to lend an arm and volunteer their time in removing trash in the shores.

Armed with rice sacks and makeshift tongs and strainers, they tried their best to clear the waters of debris. A dragon boat team even passed by the area where the cleanup was happening, as if cheering the volunteers for their hard work with the steady beat of their drum.

After taking several photos of the area, I left Manila Bay with a smile on my face. The fact that we have finally taken action means we are already halfway towards our goal.

I sincerely hope this is a start of a continuous drive to bring back the glory days of Manila, including the bay area. It is my wish to see the waters become swimmable again. That would even make the famous Manila Bay sunset much more magnificent.