It aims to restore the water quality of Manila Bay in accordance with the Writ of Continuing Mandamus of the Supreme Court.

PRIORITY ACTIVITY IS THE IMPLEMENTATION OF OPERATIONAL PLAN FOR THE MANILA BAY COASTAL STRATEGY 2017-2022

On January 27, 2019, DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu officially declared the start of the Manila Rehabilitation at the Baywalk in Manila.  On hand to witness the declaration, and also joined in the earlier event of Solidarity Walk  from the Quirino Grandstand to the staging area (Baywalk), were about 5,000 individuals, mostly representing the 13 Mandamus agencies, local government units, and private sector.

Calling it the “Battle for Manila Bay,” Cimatu, a former Armed Forces chief, said:  “This is one battle that will be won not with force or arms, but with the firm resolve to bring Manila Bay back to life.” 

He added:  “With the commitment and determination of every Filipino to do his share in this rehabilitation effort, we have already won the battle for Manila Bay.”

MANILA BAY REHABILITATION 

 Phase 1- Cleanup/Water Quality Improvement

• Cleanup of designated esteros and waterways;
• Reduce fecal coliform level and toxic discharges from houses and establishments by causing connection to existing STPs and requiring STPs for gov’t, commercial, industrial, and educational establishments;
• Inspect and repair leaks in old sewer lines;
• Provide temporary sanitation facilities to informal settlers residing along esteros and shorelines pending relocation;
• Implement solid waste management; and
• Start planning for the relocation of informal settlers

Phase 2 – Rehabilitation and Resettlement

• Rehabilitation of old sewer lines in NCR
  • Relocation of informal settlers
  • Ensure completion of 340 MLD of Maynilad and Manila Water by 2022

Phase 3 – Education and Sustainment

• Continuing education of citizens to protect the gains
• Sustained law enforcement and monitoring
• Fast tracking/ Earlier completion of the sewerage system in Metro Manila from 2037 to 2026

The Manila Bay Area:

1. The Manila Bay area covers eight (8) provinces and 178 local government units in three regions of the country, namely: National Capital Region (NCR), Region III, and Region IV-A.  Of the eight provinces, four are coastal (Bataan, Bulacan, Cavite and Pampanga); four are non-coastal (Laguna, Nueva Ecija, Rizal and Tarlac).
2. Its drainage area covers 1,994 km2, or 199,400 hectares.
3. Its coastline measures some 190 kilometers.
4. There are 17 principal river systems draining to Manila Bay, namely:

• Angat River
• Bocaue River
• Maria River
• Marilao River
• Meycauayan
• Meycauayan-Valenzuela River
• Pasig River
• Parañaque River
• Imus River
• Ylang-ylang River
• Rio Grande
• Cañas River
• Obando River
• Navotas-Malabon-Tinajeros-Tullahan River
• Talisay River
• Guagua River
• Pampanga River

SC Mandamus on Manila Bay

1. On Dec. 18, 2016, the Supreme Court issued SC Mandamus on Manila Bay (G.R. 171947-48) directing 13 government agencies to clean up, rehabilitate, and preserve Manila Bay, and restore and maintain its waters to SB level to make them fit for swimming, skin-diving, and other forms of contact recreation.

1. DENR Administrative Order No. 34 of 1990 defines coastal and marines waters under Class SB classification as areas regularly used by the public for bathing, swimming and skin diving, etc., and as spawning areas for Chanos chanos or bangus abd similar species.
2. The 13 Mandamus agencies are as follows: 

• DENR
• DILG
• DepEd
• DOH
• DA
• DPWH
• DBM
• Philippine Coast Guard (PCG)
• Philippine National Police-Maritime Group (PNP-MG)
• Philippine Ports Authority (PPA)
• Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA)
• Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS)
• Local Water Utilities Administration (LWUA)

1. For the DENR, the SC ordered the agency to:

• Fully implement its Operational Plan for the Manila Bay Coastal Strategy (OPMBCS) that are within its mandate pursuant to Executive Order No. 192, s. 1987;
• Regularly coordinate with mandamus agencies and other concerned agencies involved in management of Manila Bay on effective implementation of OPMBCS;
• Pursuant to Sec. 19 of RA 9275, manage water quality of Manila Bay thru standards setting, regular monitoring and determination of Water Quality Management Areas (WQMA).

1. The Mandamus likewise orders the dismantling and removal of illegal structures along the following waterways:

• Pasig-Marikina-San Juan Rivers
• NCR (Paranaque-Zapote, Las Pinas) Rivers 
• Navotas-Malabon-Tullahan-Tinajeros and connecting waterways and esteros in Metro Manila
• Rivers in Bulacan, Bataan, Cavite and Laguna de Bay   and other rivers connecting waterways and esteros that discharge wastewater into the Manila Bay

1. Other facts and figures about Manila Bay

• Only 15% (2.4M/16.3M) of the water-served population in the NCR are connected to a sewerage system and about 3.84% (187,000/4,863,938) of water served population outside the NCR are provided with sanitation services;
• Almost 233,000 informal settler families (ISFs) are residing along the waterways of the Manila Bay area, directly discharging their wastes to the water;
• Only about 76% (135/178) of LGUs have approved 10-Year Solid Waste Management Plans