Manila Bay’s splendor of the past

“It is almost impossible to watch a sunset and not dream.” –Bernard Williams

Through the years, Manila Bay has been known for its beautiful sunset.

I remember visiting Manila

Bay and I was completely immersed in the glowing sun.

The beauty of the setting sun allowed us to feel the magic and splendor the bay boasted years before it was destroyed by humankind. In contrast to the impressive charm brought by sundown, the bay is also known for its disgusting cesspool of industrial waste, human sewage, trash, among many others.

Before it became a dumpsite of garbage and a polluted body of water, Manila Bay was the center of Philippine port life. It was a place that witnessed several battles – including but not limited to the Battles of La Naval de Manila and the Battle of Manila Bay – in the country's long history of survival. It also held an important role in the country’s economy as trade and fishing became the people’s source of livelihood. Moreover, people once enjoyed breathing fresh air while they took afternoon walks and viewed the beautiful sunset as part of their recreational routine.

Manila Bay was full of life before it became the home of reeking garbage. It was rich in coastal and marine life. Migratory birds added to the beauty of the bay, along with a once sandy and clean shoreline. There was also a rich mangrove ecosystem that was estimated to span around 54,000 hectares at the turn of the 20th century. However, due to the rapid decline in water quality and rapid development of the area, only 794 hectares remained as of 1995. There were also beautiful coral reefs that sheltered schools of fish, as well as upland forests, sea grass, and mudflats.

Looking back, Manila Bay was surely among the Philippine's pride. Although due to our wickedness, we destroyed what God created. We should have been stewards of His creation but we did the exact opposite of what was expected from us. Is it too late to make an effort for change? No.

The Manila Bay clean-up is probably one of the few projects that I support of the President Rodrigo Duterte administration due to its environmental effects and goals of improving our quality of life. Seeing people swimming in the bay despite its muckiness, I have a lot of safety issues, particularly pertaining to health and hygiene.

The clean-up will not only affect marine and coastal life in a positive way, but it will also ensure the health of those using the bay as recreation. It might not be returned to its original grandeur as some of the damage is irreversible but, at the very least, it will be a huge step towards a cleaner bay, which I believe will become an advantage for all of us in the future.

With a definitely clean bay, we can witness a more beautiful and amazing sunset that will help us realize dreams do come true. After all, it was but a dream for me to see a clean Manila Bay while growing up, until it becomes a reality after rehabilitation.