Manila: Buoyed by its successful rehabilitation of the Boracay resort island in the Western Visayas, the Duterte administration has set out to return the iconic Manila Bay to its former glory.

Roy Cimatu, Secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resource (DENR), said that while the task was daunting, he believed in the government’s resolve for a bay once famous for its crystal-clear waters and unspoilt coconut palm-lined fringes.

“The DENR is preparing for the rehabilitation of the Manila Bay so that it can be restored to its former glory,” said Cimatu. “We want a Manila Bay that is so clean that people can swim in its waters again.”

The bay’s feculent waters have staggeringly high faecal coliform levels in excess of 330 Most Probable Number (MPN) of viable bacterial cells per 100 millilitres (ml).

The recommended safe level is a maximum 100 MPN per 100ml.

In comparison, Boracay’s faecal coliform levels now stand at 18.1 MPN per 100ml following the rehabilitation work ordered by President Rodrigo Duterte in April on the recommendations of the DENR.

Duterte ordered the closure of the popular tourist destination after being alarmed by deteriorating conditions which he likened to a cesspool.

The island had seen water quality plummet as private resorts went into development overdrive, building structures with little regard for the surrounding environment.

Duterte stressed then that he was willing to forgo the hundreds of millions in lost tourism revenues just to have Boracay’s waters brought to a near-pristine state.

Since its October reopening, the resort island in Aklan province has seen conditions continue to improve, chief among them being water quality.

Cimatu said the DENR believes that the government’s experience in rehabilitating Boracay can be replicated for the Manila Bay.

Reynaldo Velasco, administrator of the Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS), the body in charge of ensuring the cleanliness of drinking water in Metro Manila, recently said the rehabilitation of Manila Bay was long overdue.

Velasco said the cleaning of the harbour was a responsibility that was supposed to be shared by the government and all concerned sectors of society.