MORE THAN AN EYESORE Heaps of garbage blanket the coast of Manila Bay in Baseco, Tondo, Manila, in this January 2019 photo. 鈥淧lastics still represent a significant portion of marine debris, accounting for 91 percent of the total collected waste,鈥� according to EcoWaste Coalition. 鈥擥rig C. Montegrande
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Cleaning up Manila Bay is not as simple as picking up trash.
For Johnny Ching, assistant vice chancellor for research at De La Salle University-Dasmari帽as (DLSU-D), this 鈥渄ynamic鈥� problem of marine litter requires research- and evidence-based solutions.
鈥淲e鈥檝e had this experience before with tree-planting activities. We thought the solution to deforestation is to plant more trees, but due to the lack of evidence, of reason, most of what was planted turned out to be invasive species,鈥� Ching said. 鈥淚nstead of solving the problem, we just added to it.鈥�
In 2024, DLSU-D conducted its Marine Litter Monitoring Survey Report in partnership with the environmental group EcoWaste Coalition and funded by the Korea International Cooperation Agency-Philippines and the Korea Marine Environment Management Corp.
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The report examined the counts and weights of different types of litter across 10 project sites around Manila Bay and discovered that waste in those areas has 鈥渟ignificantly鈥� decreased.
鈥淎n average of 46 pieces of marine litter per meter coastline of Manila Bay were counted in 2023 to 2024,鈥� which is a 36-percent decline compared to DLSU-D鈥檚 previous survey.
On the other hand, 鈥渋n terms of weight, the collected marine litter per meter coastline in Manila Bay for 2023 to 2024 weighed an average of 1,780 grams (1.78 kilograms),鈥� showing a reduction of 42 percent.
However, Ching pointed out that researchers have yet to establish a 鈥渢rend鈥� in their monitoring.
鈥淸I]n 2023, the amount of litter rose, but in 2024, it went down. We don鈥檛 know in 2025 if it will continue to go down or it might go up again. That is why it is important to continue conducting monitoring surveys,鈥� he said.
Mandamus ruling
Efforts to rehabilitate Manila Bay began as early as 2008 when the Supreme Court issued a mandamus ruling directing 13 government agencies, including the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, to clean up, rehabilitate, and preserve Manila Bay.
In 2019, former Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu launched the 鈥淏attle for Manila Bay鈥� to clean up designated esteros and waterways as well as reduce the waters鈥� fecal coliform level.
鈥淢anila Bay is connected to seven major rivers draining 26 catchment basins. According to studies, this is where the pollution in Manila Bay comes from,鈥� said Ching.
The most common type of waste in Manila Bay is plastics. According to the DLSU report, 鈥渘ine [out of] 10 pieces of collected marine litter are plastics.鈥� Additionally, 鈥減lastics shared 66 percent of the total weight of all collected marine litter.鈥�
鈥淧lastics still represent a significant portion of marine debris, accounting for 91 percent of the total collected waste, with hard and film plastics being the most prevalent forms,鈥� added the EcoWaste Coalition.
In total, there were almost 8 million pieces of plastic collected within 190 kilometers of coastline in Manila Bay, weighing more than 225,000 kg.
鈥淢ost of the film plastics were single-use food sachets and plastic bags. This only shows the popularity of single-use plastics such as sachets, food wrappers, grocery bags, thin-filmed bags (plastic 鈥渓abo鈥�), diapers, and disposable caps,鈥� the report said.
Among the areas surveyed for the report were five barangays in Cavite: Silangan I in Rosario, Timalan Conception in Naic, San Rafael IV in Noveleta, and Capipisa and Julugan in Tanza.
For the National Capital Region (NCR), researchers monitored the Las Pi帽as-Para帽aque Wetland Park in Para帽aque City and the Tanza Marine Tree Park in Navotas City.
In Bataan, the survey sites were Barangay Cabcaben and Agwawan Beach in Barangay Sisiman in Mariveles, as well as Barangay Bantan in Orion.
Highest count
Out of all these survey sites, the areas in NCR logged the most amount of waste. Navotas City had the highest count of litter at 92 pieces per meter of coastline, while Para帽aque had the heaviest amount of waste collected at 4,500 g (4.5 kg) of litter per meter of coastline.
Still, Ching reiterated that marine litter is a 鈥渄ynamic鈥� problem, saying that 鈥渨e cannot determine where [the trash comes from] or who is to blame.鈥�
鈥淭he important thing is we are aware that each one of us has a responsibility, and each one of us can do something [to clean up Manila Bay],鈥� he said.
With the decline in marine litter, Aileen Lucero, national coordinator of EcoWaste, said that 鈥渢hese findings demonstrate the progress we鈥檝e made, but they also highlight the urgent need for stricter waste management practices.鈥�
Among the recommendations in the report were the implementation of information and education campaigns on solid waste management at every coastal barangay.
鈥淗ouseholds as well as beach resort owners and locals must be knowledgeable on different classifications of waste, aware of its negative impacts, and practice proper waste segregation and minimization,鈥� the report said.
It also called for the adoption of standardized cleanup methods as well as the development of a comprehensive marine litter management plan for Manila Bay.
鈥淲e have made remarkable progress, but we can鈥檛 stop here. It is crucial that everyone鈥攆rom government agencies to local communities鈥攋oins forces to implement the solutions outlined in this report,鈥� Lucero said.