THE PHILIPPINES
The heavily polluted Pasig River, Metro Manila's main waterway in the Philippines, is beginning to show signs of revival. Already locals have resumed fishing activities in the river.
Lauding the efforts of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority ( mmda ) and the public in restoring the river, environment secretary Antonio Cerilles said: "The presence of fish in some parts (of the river) show that the river is coming back to life.' He said the government's efforts were mainly to instruct the people living on the river banks not to direct their waste into the river as 65 per cent of the filth that the river carries is domestic effluents.
Cerilles recalled that 70 years ago, the river was a major source of fish and, hence, livelihood for fisherfolk. In those days, fish and other marine life thrived in the Pasig River. But over the years, severe pollution had threatened the river's ecosystem. Cerilles, however, admitted that efforts to rejuvenate the river would take some time to show results. It would also involve a lot of resources as thousands of poor families who had set up makeshift shanties on the riverbank would have to be relocated. He also said that the government is making an all out effort to clean the picturesque Manila Bay.
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