Written Report

on
Environmental
Assessment
GREEN PEACE GROUP
Alluso, Cherrymiah
Dayao, Joshua
Esmeralda, Janyl Yvette
Panganiban, Roseann
Pimentel, John Kenneth
Tabamo, Aureen Therese
 Manila Bay Environmental Issues
Manila Bay is the front door to the world for the Philippines, the international gateway to
the country. It is a place of romantic sunsets, modern commerce and plenty of nostalgia. Even
before modern technology and airplanes, foreign merchants made their trade with Manila through
the shores of this bay. The bay walk across Manila Bay is a best place to spend leisure together
with your family and friends. It is the best place to enjoy the sunset and a popular place amongst
the young who would like to be here with their dear ones. Watching the sunset is one of the
breathtaking views that you will have in the place. Every morning, hundreds of Manileños flock
the promenade in Roxas Boulevard to have a good exercise. It’s been a favorite place for many
people who want to jog or walk along the boulevard while seeing perfect scenery.
However, in the present time, Manila Bay is experiencing some extreme environmental
issues.
Pollution Garbage
Pollution Garbage and various unwanted by-products of modern life are being dumped
regularly into the Bay due to the mistaken belief that the vastness of the sea allows it to absorb
large quantities of waste without suffering noticeable damage. As the zone of influence of
pollutants extends beyond local boundaries and across time, the political difficulties of
implementing comprehensive, cost-effective management interventions are compounded.
Pollutants crossing political boundaries impose external costs, which are difficult to measure and
monitor. A polluted and congested Bay renders tourism development a high-risk investment. Health risks
continue, and will only intensify the pressure on the government to put in additional resources for the
provision of health and other social services.

Fisheries
Encroachment of commercial fishing boats into municipal waters continues to be a source
of conflict with municipal fishers. The majority of the demersal fish population of Manila Bay are
juvenile and immature. These results indicate that the fish stock of Manila Bay is overfished, and
with the dwindling mature fish population, the fishing pressure is now directed towards the
younger individuals. Manila Bay is a shallow body of water with relatively flat bottom contour,
especially suited for trawl and other similar fishing operation involving the dragging or pushing
of nets. These destructive fishing practices have caused the degradation of the soft-bottom
communities, and in particular the near-extinction of the windowpane oyster in the Bay.
Habitats
Habitats straddle across administrative boundaries. Most of the habitats in Manila Bay —
mangroves, upland forests, coral reefs — are degraded due to human activities. Mangroves and
upland forests not only provide beneficial services to the ecosystem of Manila Bay area, but also
serve as carbon sinks which have a positive effect on the prevention of global warming. In general,
habitats provide services and important ecological functions that benefit people throughout the
Manila Bay area and their degradation has transboundary implications.
Introduction of alien species
Due to the increasing number of ship arrivals in Manila Bay, marine organisms from the
ballast water may be introduced into the Bay, threatening the ecosystem and public health. Red
Tide is recurring problem in Manila Bay, and has affected hundreds of people in the coastal
municipalities and cities in terms of paralytic shellfish poisoning and decline in income

Probable causes for these environmental issues

Pollution Garbage
o Most of the pollution was from land-based human activities, including the
discharge of municipal, industrial and agricultural wastes, land runoff and
atmospheric deposition. About 21 percent of the organic pollution load to Manila
Bay comes from the Pasig River basin, with 70 percent of this load derived from
households.
o According to a 2015 study in the journal Science, the Philippines generates an
enormous amount of trash and is the third worst ocean plastic polluter in the world.

Based on the data released by the

Ecological Solid Waste Management-
NCR section of the DENR in 2018,
Metro Manila produces a fourth of the
Philippine garbageA 2017 report from
the Senate Economic Planning
Office or SEP revealed that with over
9.2 million kilos of garbage, only 85%
are being collected and the remaining
15% are perceived by the DENR to
have ended up in creeks, canals and
eventually to Manila Bay.

• Sewerage Problem
• Donna-Mayor Gordove, the executive director of DENR, said that most of the
households don’t have septic tank that treat human waste and separate solids and
liquids in wastewater. That is why it directly go to storm drain, a network of pipes
designed to take away excess water on roads. These eventually drain into bodies of
water. Since they aren't built to treat sewage, that’s where the problem starts.

Informal Settler Families

o DILG 2018 data shows that CALABARZON has the greatest number of ISFs at
148,023, beating Metro Manila's 111,789, and that there is still a high number of
 informal settler families (ISF) that directly discharge waste to bodies of water in
the Manila Bay area
Irresponsible business establishment around the bay
o Last March 9, 2020, The Philippine government has closed down 5 business
establishments (Zhi-Brothers Restaurant, Ocean Bay Restaurant, Da Rae Jung
Korean Restaurant, Song Do Won Restaurant and BHP1 Autoworks) in Pasay City
after they were found discharging untreated wastewater into Manila Bay.

Fisheries
Increased aquaculture production especially coming from pond systems entails intensified
intervention/inputs during pond fertilization, liming, stocking, and feeding. These specifically
involve the use of feeds and fertilizers as well as other chemicals, which may compromise food
safety and pose threats to the environment.

Inorganic fertilizers may cause eutrophication and may contribute to an increase in

ammonia toxicity in the natural waters (Boyd & Massaut, 1999). Manure, grass, and human wastes,
on the other hand, may deplete oxygen in the water and introduce pathogens and heavy metals into
the water and to the culture species (Boyd & Massaut, 1999; Golez, 2009; US EPA, 2013).
Pesticides, aside from being highly toxic, are bioaccumulative and can contaminate the final
product thus unnecessarily exposing the consumers to food safety concerns according to the same
author above. The nutrient phosphate is considered a significant environmental stressor. Phosphate
in the water column in all areas of the Bay exceeded recognized marine water quality criteria for
a healthy ecosystem of 0.015 mg/L by almost twofold. The highest phosphate levels were found
near Manila.

Habitat

Coral Reef Destuction

The agents of the coral reef destruction are identified to be cyanide fishing,
dynamite fishing, siltation, and trawl fishing

Mangrove Loss
Major causes of mangrove loss along the Manila Bay include conversion of land
areas to give way to aquaculture, salt bed, land reclamation for human settlement and
industrial development. Logging or clear-cutting of mangrove species for fuelwood also
causes mangrove decline. Other possible causes include pollutions (i.e., oil spill, chemical
discharge, solid wastes and excessive sediments) that clog root systems of mangrove
stands.

Introduction of Alien Species

Ballast water is fresh or saltwater held in the ballast tanks and cargo holds of ships. It is
used to provide stability and maneuverability during a voyage when ships are not carrying cargo,
not carrying heavy enough cargo, or when more stability is required due to rough seas. When it is
released, it may introduce non-native organisms into the port of discharge
Probable Solutions for these environmental Issues

There were programs that were undertaken by past administrations such as, “The Manila Bay
Five Year Plan IEMP (Integrated Environmental Monitoring Program) However, we can say that the
program was not effective judging by the state of the Manila Bay now.

Last January 27, 2019, the DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu officially declared the start of the
Manila Rehabilitation at the Baywalk in Manila. It was said that the Duterte administration is allotting 47
billion to fund the clean up. With the overall budget for the rehabilitation would be 132 billion.

We may or may not have seen the effects of the rehabilitation program by the government now
as Manila Bay cannot become clean overnight.

If we were to come up with solutions, we think the rehabilitation program of the government is already
enough. However, as we all say “CONSISTENCY is the key.” When doing rehabilitation programs, it must
be continuous and aside from the rehabilitation program, the relocation of informal settlers is a must.
Informal settlers contribute a lot to the pollution in Manila Bay, to lessen these pollutions, we must
relocate them to a proper housing with proper trash system.
Reference:

https://www.interaksyon.com/politics-issues/2019/02/28/145000/garbage-metro-manila-bay-pollution-
environment/

https://news.mongabay.com/2018/10/plastic-trash-from-the-sachet-economy-chokes-the-philippines-
seas/

https://rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/stilt-houses-manila-bay-rehabilitation-series-part-1
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/03/11/20/manila-bay-rehabilitation-5-establishments-polluting-
manila-bay-shuttered

https://iwlearn.net/resolveuid/86da3dcf92610dc352098683add0c1ff#:~:text=If%20one%20part%20is%
20out%20of%20balance%2C%20the%20entire%20system%20suffers.&text=water%20column%20in%20
all%20areas,levels%20were%20found%20near%20Manila.

http://www.nfrdi.da.gov.ph/tpjf/etc/Pollution%20in%20Manila%20Bay%20Aquaculture%20Farms_F.pdf

http://erdb.denr.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/c_v26n5.pdf

https://www.invasivespeciesinfo.gov/subject/ballast-water