WATCH: Authorities ban public from swimming in Manila Bay

MANILA, Philippines — Several members of the Manila Police District are roaming around Manila Bay boardwalk in Roxas Boulevard to prevent the residents from swimming in the polluted waters during the rehabilitation of the bay.

Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu earlier led the installation of a fence along the Manila Bay boardwalk so that the public could avoid swimming in the polluted waters. It remains to be a “no-swimming zone.”

Cimatu banned the public from swimming in the bay due to high levels of fecal coliform bacteria in the water. The Manila Bay used to have a fecal coliform level of 330 mpn per 10 milliliters, way above the acceptable level of 100mpn per 100 milliliters before the clean-up.

— Text by Rosette Adel