Manila mayor ‘Isko Moreno’ reiterates his commitment to help in cleaning Manila Bay during the inauguration of KOICA’s clean-up vessel MV Nilad. (Photo from the Manila Public Information Office)
During the inauguration of the Marine Clean-Up Vessel for the Enhancement of Marine Litter Management in Manila Bay (EMLM) Project at Pier 15 in Muelle de San Francisco, Manila mayor Francisco ‘Isko Moreno’ Domagoso reiterated his administration’s commitment for the cleanup of the historic bay that features the city’s world-famed sunset.
Mayor Domagoso led the inauguration ceremony with secretaris Juan Miguel Cuna of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Giovanni ‘Banoy’ Lopez of the Department of Transportation (DoTr) and Republic of Korea ambassador Lee Sang-hwa.
They were also joined by Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) commandant Admiral Ronnie Gil Gavan and Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) vice president Lee Yun Young, who donated the 25-meter marine clean-up vessel.
Christened as MV Nilad, the vessel expected to strengthen the country’s marine litter management efforts by collecting floating debris and supporting oil spill response operations as part of the five-year KOICA-funded Manila Bay rehabilitation initiative.
“I, as mayor of Manila, on behalf of the people of Manila, would like to thank you for helping us clean Manila Bay. It is a very challenging task for the people of Manila doing it alone. Without you, we will never be successful following the directive of the Supreme Court under the Mandanas ruling,” Domagoso enthused in his message during the event.
He likewise vowed that the city government under his leadership will continue carrying out its responsibility to maintain bodies of water within Manila’s territorial jurisdiction.
“In our own little way as a city government, rest assured that we will fulfill our duty to maintain and manage the waterways within our territorial jurisdiction,” he stressed in the vernacular.
In ending, the mayor gave cognizance that the country’s capital has the largest Manila Bay coastline among Metro Manila’s local government units and serves as the catch basin for water flowing from eastern areas.
“When the water comes down from the mountains toward Marikina and other towns, we are the ones who receive it here in Manila. Unfortunately, it also carries garbage with it, which is why I would like to give special recognition to our estero rangers from the DENR and the City of Manila,” he concluded.