City execs doused with Manila Bay water to show it’s now safe to swim in

The Manila Tourism and Cultural Office is now encouraging Filipinos to take a dip in the Manila Bay, saying it was now clean enough to be safe for swimmers, Marisol Abdurahman reported on "24 Oras" on Wednesday.

The tourism office even conducted a "water bucket" challenge—one that had several officials get doused with water from the Manila Bay—to prove its cleanliness and safety.

However, those from the city's health office disagree.

"Ginagawa po natin yan para po ipakita sa buong mundo na malinis na po yung Manila Bay," said Liz Villasenor of the tourism office.

"I would encourage kasi naman po ang tubig naman sa Manila Bay free-flowing water. Naligo na po ako dun," she added.

Clemente San Gabriel, sanitation department chief of the Manila City Health Office, said the bay still had a high amount of coliform or bacteria found in the feces of warm-blooded animals.

San Gabriel said City Ordinance 3827 banned swimming in Manila Bay as it had 36,000 CFU (colony forming units) per 100 mL of water.

"Detrimental to health. Naliligo dun, skin disease. E kung makakainom ng tubig, gastroenteric diseases. Delikado," San Gabriel said. —Rie Takumi/NB, GMA News