The Manila Bay and the Rehabilitation of Man

The Manila Bay after the clean up ~ Photo by Ed Lustan

By Ronald Michael Quijano

I can still dwell into the memories Manila Bay has given me. The cold water that runs on my skin complements the warmth of sunrise. I can still feel the texture of the seashells formed on the sides of rocks lined-up at the bay. I can still taste the sea, smell the sea, and visualized the common marine life that usually occupies the Manila Bay. When I was a child, about 9 or 10, my cousins and I used to went to Manila Bay on foot, just to swim, get mussels and small crabs, and cook it when we get home. But after a few years went by, the same old Manila Bay is far from the haven I used to see. Coined by some as Metro Manila's “Toilet Bowl". Generations have passed, yet the management and care for the bay have always been fragmented. This essay is neither to establish some propaganda nor campaign some political figure, the goal is not to praise the current administration. This is to enlighten the readers about the cause of Manila Bay's destruction and the solution for it.

178 cities and towns in seven provinces are irresponsibly throwing their unmanaged wastes in Manila Bay. From Cavite to Laguna, Bulacan to Pampanga, Rizal, Bataan, and Zambales; enforcing waste management and proper sanitation are as blurry as the Manila Bay's seawater.¹ The only thing that is clear to these LGUs is their ignorance and the will of their convenience.² Factors that add up to the bay's critical conditions are the facilities that surround the area that can easily apply for business permits, occupancy, and licenses - never been inspected since the day of their opening, unless issues are rising.³ The local government is indeed responsible for the bay's desolation, but should they be praised for the launch of Manila Bay’s clean-up drive? Well, not to discourage the action, but it is their mere duty and responsibility; the same goes for praising the teacher that teaches. Blame should not only be given to the government, but to the nation itself. The Nation is composed of its citizens, citizens drive the nation, therefore, the nation only reflects the image, actions, and culture of its citizens. For over the past decades, the Manila Bay is not the only deteriorated treasure in the Metro, let us not forget the Pasig River which happens to be the main contributor of Manila Bay's descend. After World War II, urbanization and industrialization began to grow. The river attracted informal settlers, factories owned by capitalists, and the rest of the city began to dumped different waste onto the river. The city’s poor waste management- without having the strategy to treat their water waste - just throw everything they can.⁴ Observe the people that operate the environment, you can learn a lot from them, such as the following; (1) They don't know the consequence of their actions, like simple throwing of small trash everywhere seems like it would lead to no harm. (2) They are scientifically illiterate. They know more about anime and memes but so little about their environment. (3) They don't know how to segregate different kinds of waste. From biodegradable to non-biodegradable, they are completely ignorant about this. (4) They are always after their own convenience, despite harming the environment, they will do it as long as it satisfies their luxury. (5) Most Filipinos are completely driven by their pride, supports the stupidity of their favorites, and decline their opposition’s benefits- well, this is for another essay since it covers politics.

AMA HOMES cleaning the Manila Bay, Photo by AMA HOMES

The Manila Bay Rehabilitation is just a small step remedy - not to discourage the act because I do support it - but it is farfetched to the solution that the bay needs. The clean-up drive is not going to work if the water coming from different provinces will not be treated. The rehabilitation is not going to be successful if the citizens are still ignorant about their surroundings. Waste management will not work if the citizens do not know the value of waste segregation. The world will never change for good if it is driven by a capitalist that only cares about production. If only humans never went out from nature's restriction, it would be better for them. Everyone is famishing for change but no one wants to change. This is to raise awareness for those who have non-sense priorities, for those who will spend time on Mobile Legends rather than engaging to their community, for those who will make memes out of everything rather than help those who have nothing, for those who will watch koreanovela or anime all day rather than seeing those who have no shelter all night, for those who talk too much but do no act, for those who criticize things they do not understand. Man needs nature more than nature needs a man. The world suffers a lot every time man celebrates and adore themselves. I can still remember the time I visited Mines View at Baguio City, the setting seems very familiar, the view looks a lot like Divisoria in Manila, not just the density of the crowd but also the stores. The only thing that is different is that garbage such as plastic bags is nowhere to be found. That's why every time I see a pool of garbage, I know that tourists from Manila nested on that spot.

Industrialization causes more harm than the benefits it provides, not just on the environment but also to the nature of humanity itself. Things that are not needed become necessities for living. The problem of waste roots back on the problem of a man. There's no such thing as fixed human nature since its state is dependent on the context of the world. Let us not just rehabilitate the things we destroyed, let us not forget the destroyer itself. The man needs rehabilitation for their actions, mindset, worldview, beliefs, and philosophy. Let us all share the blame for this, let us not act as if we are clean because this is the product of our species. Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much.