MMDA reveals video of Manila Bay's murky waters

The Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) on Tuesday showed the underwater situation in Manila Bay which is still under massive government rehabilitation.

In Mark Salazar's report on GMA's 24 Oras, MMDA divers took a video of the polluted waters of the bay.

"'Yung nasa three feet madilim pagdating ng seven feet magye-yellowish ang tubig. Pagdating ng 12 feet makikita niyo na puro burak na halos," MMDA spokesperson, Asec. Celine Pialago said.

"Kapag umatake na ang Habagat, tag-ulan, high tide, lahat ng basura mga burak aangat 'yan. Lahat ng dumi babalik sa may pampang," she added.

The coliform level in Manila Bay was 330 million MPN or most probable number per 100 milliliters. It is too high compared to the safe level of 100 MPN per 100 ml.

The MMDA acknowledged that cleanup drives in Manila Bay alone would not suffice to revive the polluted body of water as other contaminated rivers and estuaries directly flow to it, including the Balut River with a coliform level of 1.9 billion MPN per 100 ml, San Antonio de Abad with 1.3 billion MPN, and Vitas, which has 745 million MPN.

Pialago said the MMDA conducts dredging in the said bodies of water to prevent the wastes from further flowing to Manila Bay.  — Dona Magsino/BAP, GMA News