The Philippine Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has proposed a series of dredging works for cleaning up Manila Bay and its tributaries.
The dredging will be specifically aimed at removing silt and solid waste that have accumulated just below the water surface in affected portions of the bay.
The accumulation of silt and rubbish over the years has reduced the bay's water-carrying capacity, affected water flow, and worsened water pollution in the Tullahan River, which is one of the bay's tributaries.
Divers who checked conditions in Manila Bay's middle portion in the first week of February reported silt and rubbish deposits of as much as four metres in thickness beneath the water surface.