Introduction
The issue of water pollution in the Republic of the Philippines is high on the agenda since the country is made up of more than seven thousand islands located in the Western Pacific and Southeast Asian regions. These islands are surrounded by the South China Sea, the Sulu Sea, the Luzon Strait, the Philippine Sea, and the Celebes Sea (Marrone). Due to the uncontrolled and rapid population growth as well as urbanization and industrialization, Philippine waters suffer from extreme pollution.
Metro Manila Water Pollution
While water pollution can be discussed on the state level, it is proposed to analyze the specific region of Metropolitan Manila, which is a heavily industrialized region with the expanding the population. The Metropolitan area is comprised of four cities-centers of districts, such as the City of Manila, Quezon City, Caloocan City, and Pasay City. In the west, the region is surrounded by the Manila Bay, in the southeast by the Laguna de Bay, in the east by the Sierra Madre Moutain Range, and in the north by the plains of Central Luzon (Raflores and Regmi 4).
Despite the fact that the majority of water in Metro Manila are intended for recreational activities such as swimming or fishing, the report presented by Raflores and Regmi for the United Nations University mentioned that the waters have high concentrations of heavy metals and other pollutants that significantly reduce the quality of water in the region (4). Moreover, in 2008, the Supreme Court issued a continued mandate that forced the government to invest in cleaning up the Manila Bay and other waters in the region such as Laguna Lake and Pasig River (Raflores and Regmi 4).
The current uses of water in Metro Manila cause the most controversy with regard to environmental issues. Because the region is heavily urbanized, it is estimated to generate approximately 6,700 tons of solid waste each day, 5,600 (84%) of which are collected and transported to nine dumpsites located in the area. This leads to the remaining 16% of waste going to the river systems and thus clogging the most significant waterways (Raflores and Regmi 6).
Apart from heavily industrialized areas of Metro Manila, informal settlers that live along river shores also heavily contribute to the issue of water pollution. With regards to the specific use of water in the region, Vicente Tuddao Jr., the executive director of the DENR’s River Basin Control Office, stated that only 28% of all water in the Philippines is used for domestic purposes since the rest is of low quality and can only be used for industrial and agricultural aims, which subsequently exacerbates the problem (Alave).
In the discussion about the issue of water pollution in the Metro Manila area, it is essential to mention current initiatives that the government is undertaking to manage the problem. These initiatives include the Pasig River Rehabilitation and Development Program introduced by the Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission, the Manila Bay Coastal Strategy as a response to the Supreme Court mandamus, the Adopt-an-Estero Program implemented by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Flood Management Master Plan for Metro Manila and Surrounding Areas implemented by the Department of Public Works and Highways, and Environmental Management and Pollution Control implemented by DENR (Raflores and Regmi 6).
Economic Analysis and Recommendations
In this brief economic analysis of water pollution in Metro Manila, it is proposed to look at the industrial use of waters and the household use to understand the impact that the population growth and urbanization have on water pollution. The main reason for the highly alarming quality of water in Metro Manila is the unmanaged residential waste that can flow into the waterways, thus polluting them (Ranada).
Furthermore, only twenty to thirty percent of the area’s large population is connected to sewerage lines, which points to the fact that over seventy percent of the population uses septic tanks that increase the possibility of human waste leaking into the water system (Ranada). It is also important to mention that some citizens may not even have septic tanks and therefore dispose of their waste through unregulated means (Ranada). Thus, an intermediary conclusion can be made that the lack of attention to waste disposal methods within the population directly affects the water quality.
Because Metro Manila is the country’s most developed industrial region, the manufacturing sector has a significant impact on low water quality. The strategic location of the Pasig River facilitates the industrial use of water, causing waste. While domestic waste accounts for approximately 60% of water pollution, industrial waste from textile mills, distilleries, and chemical plants makes up 33%, while solid waste accounts for 7% (Gorme et al. 174).
The severity of water pollution in the region can be predominantly attributed to policy and institutional failures. While the efforts of the government to address water pollution in Metro Manila and the rest of the Philippines began in 1973, there has been an only minor progression. According to Gorme et al., policy and institutional failures occurred due to the lack of sufficient funding that led to the weak implementation of policy, irrelevant planning, and the lack of efforts to update the infrastructure of the region (176).
Because the Philippines is a developing country, and the majority of its funding efforts are targeted on economic and political enhancements, the funding for the improvement of water quality remains lacking. Furthermore, the government has faced some opposition from the public that was unwilling to pay for the necessary sanitation services, contributing to the struggle of expanding investments into the aquatic ecosystem (Gorme et al. 176).
It can be concluded that chronic problems with the quality of water and its supply in Metro Manila and the adjusting areas have shown that man’s activities can cause damage to the environment, especially the watersheds. Recommendations for the government as to the management of polluted waters are two-fold: seeking financial support from international sponsors and implementing a public awareness campaign.
Furthermore, prior to contacting sponsors, the government of the Philippines should develop an action plan for addressing water pollution, with an emphasis placed on public education and awareness. The analysis has shown that the lack of support from communities was among the most limiting factors that undermined the effectiveness of policy changes. In such campaigns, the government should work cooperatively with local and regional media to conduct news coverages, publish articles in newspapers, and air educational commercials on radio and television (Texas Water Development Board 5).
It is expected that when the public understands the damage it has caused to the environment, it will support the government in its efforts to improve the quality of the waterways in Metro Manila and prevent both domestic and industrial waste from being dumped into the water.
Works Cited
Alave, Kristine. “Water, Water Everywhere, and Much of It Polluted.” Inquirer. 2012. Web.
Gorme, Joan, et al. “The Water Quality of the Pasig River in the City of Manila, Philippines: Current Status, Management and Future Recovery.” Environmental Engineering Research, vol. 15, no. 3, 2010, pp. 173-179.
Marrone, Rhonda. “Water Pollution in the Philippines: Causes and Solutions.” Borgen Magazine. 2016. Web.
Raflores, Lilia, and Ram Krisha Regmi. Understanding the Water and Urban Environment of a Megacity: The Case of Metro Manila, Philippines. 2015. Web.
Ranada, Pia. “Metro Creeks: Less Trash, But Water Quality Not Improving.” Rappler. 2014. Web.
Texas Water Development Board. Developing a Water Conservation Public Awareness Program: A Guide for Utilities. 2010. Web.