Cheap antics and empty PR

The front page of the Inquirer last Feb. 7 caught my attention: “Coliform levels down but swimming still banned.”

For ordinary people, the government’s move to clean up Manila Bay will elicit much appreciation. However, the exaggerated newspaper coverage of a series of events the past few days over the bay “rehabilitation” is much ado about nothing.

These cleanup activities will never stop Manila Bay’s pollution even if done everyday for 100 days, as long as the sources of pollutants are not stopped!

Luckily for us, the effort to clean up the waters in Metro Manila started without fanfare more than 10 years ago. Water concessioners Manila Water and Maynilad had been mandated to construct and install sewage treatment plants all over Metro Manila and surrounding cities, each plant costing more than a billion pesos.

The first plant installed was in Marikina, followed by ones in Pasay, Muntinlupa and others. Parañaque also has one now in the final stage of completion. Las Piñas has just awarded the project to a contractor. Many more STPs (sewage treatment plants) are to follow, with EPC (engineering, procurement and construction) firms from Europe, Japan and others participating in the bidding process.

This is the way to really address a national problem. The government should show more respect for our people’s level of intelligence and discard those cheap antics and empty PR.

WILFREDO LUPOS, [email protected]