Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Manila : Reality Bites!!!

This has gotta be one of the most disturbing set of photos I will ever post. And to those of you who still do not believe that garbage is an enormous problem, you better see this. I used to think that Manila Bay is famous for its roll-breaking sunset. Don't get me wrong, I still do, but it has also gained notoriety because of its polluted waters.

Large concentration of trash in the Bay can be found near the US Embassy and what is more disturbing is that you can see people, including children, swimming and playing in the dirty waters. Heck, there are even some people who fish and sell their catch in the area.

My grandfather used to tell me stories of how grand and clean Manila Bay was and that many dreams and aspirations have been built around the area. It was a place where couples would often hold hands and lean on each other and just watch the sun fade into the horizons. But now, because of our blatant disregard on protecting our environment, the Bay has suffered. Sadly, we may never experience what my grandfather has told me about Manila Bay...

Manila Bay in Trash


Bathers on the Right Side


Fishing? Seriously?

On the opposite side of the road, you will find the Philippines' most famous park - the Rizal Park.

More popularly known as Luneta, the site has witnessed some of the most significant moments in Philippine history . Among them are the execution of Philippine national hero José Rizal, the Declaration of Philippine Independence from American rule and controversial political rallies.

The place is also a favorite tourist spot for school children and the monument itself serves as the point of origin or Kilometre Zero to all other cities in the Philippines.

National Flag and National Hero


Luneta Park


Free-Flowing Philippine Flags


The Guarded Rizal Monument

39 comments:

  1. grabe, dami ngang basura!!

    i havent been to luneta in a long time. but ill definetely drop by there soon since i pass by it often.

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  2. eto ba yung hell on earth? LOL! aaawwwe-some bai!

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  3. The pictures of the Bay are disturbing on many levels...it looks like the Government would make it a priority to clean the garbage from the area and make Manila Bay the haven it once was.
    Sandi

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  4. welcome to Manila! ;)

    uhmm... your Luneta Park photos are inviting. and oh yeah, when i was a kid, i have swum in Manila Bay too! with my cousins and a good number of (small) cockroaches crawling on the bay side rocks. eww...?

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  5. Ganda na sana, sinira ng basura... haaaayyy!

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  6. Yup! samahan pa ng masangsang na amoy ng hangin mula sa manila bay... hayz... pero mukhang nagimprove ata ng kaunti from noon talaga... same din sa luneta park nagimprove na rin kahit papaano... jejejejejeje...

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  7. hmmm, i've been to manila twice but haven't been to luneta.. maybe i'll check it when i go back to manila one of these days.. and hopefully, no garbage would greet me there. i really hope people, not just the government, would exert much effort in cleaning up our coasts.

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  8. The garbage..government & NGO have to do something about that:)
    Anyway it's happen every where even in Kuching.

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  9. garbage is not our biggest problem, but the people's attitude, the indifference about environmental issues. even if the gov't would clean up Manila Bay, Pasig River and all the clogged waterways in the metro, people would still throw their garbage anywhere they want. until we change this attitude, we are doomed to drown in our own filth.

    i pray that after Ondoy, people have learned their lesson.

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  10. You're right. Those first few pictures were disturbing. But, it was nice to move on to the tidiness of the park. Interesting post!

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  11. Love the Red Skies photos :) might paint them :)

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  12. the last time I cruised Roxas Blvd., the sea was rough. Every wave that slams the breakwater throws large amounts of garbage into the baywalk pavement. it literally felt like the sea was spewing back the garbage to the people.

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  13. I think it is same in any country too. We are known as a clean and green city but in some corners of our beautiful country you can still see garbage or rubbish thrown by inconsiderate people.

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  14. The garbage issue is very disturbing. Hope it won't worsen to another level.

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  15. Oh my. The things we do to the earth!

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  16. The rubbish is an eyesore but the monument is elegant

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  17. im not aware of this, ang alam ko lang mula sa mga buks ko dati sa history ay ang manila bay nga daw pinakamagandang lugar sa pilipinas kung saan mo pwede mapanood ang sunset. pero kung ganyan ang prob sa mga basura naku naman, please lang, mabigyan sana ng pansin.

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  18. scary scene. knowing yan ang nakikita ng tourist. pati yung mabahon amoy ng bay.

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  19. Ughh! The 1st 2 photos spoils the view! Actually it's quite a nice photo - just minus those garbage!

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  20. kahit pa madumi and mabaho ang manila, i still find things to like about the city...

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  21. kahit pa madumi and mabaho ang manila, i still find things to like about the city...

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  22. That's quite a contrast - the filthy and the very clean.

    Trash is a problem everywhere. Humans will bury themselves in it, I fear.

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  23. those sunsets are amazing--but so sad about the trash problem. I suppose it's a challenge everywhere. Here in the States, it's often the hidden creeks and lakes that people don't frequent that get trashed. Governments do what they can but sometimes, they're understaffed. I've experienced this myself when I told our city government about a trash problem in a city reservoir. They did nothing. So I organized some friends and we collected as much trash we could one Saturday. Small steps...

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  24. Litter is more than an eyesore. After Ondoy's wrath in Manila, it showed trash exacerbated flooding. How many times does nature have to remind the careless among us?

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  25. It should be a collective effort both on the part of the government and its citizen. No matter how the government collects it but if people keeps on throwing their garbage at the sea, then it will be useless. And I agree, there will come a time that we will swim in our own filth.

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  26. Rizal would not be so proud to see this.

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  27. at tuloy-tuloy ang basura haaanggang coastal road at bacoor, cavite, sayang talaga.

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  28. tsk tsk.ang dami talagang basura dyan, but other people dont mind it at naliligo pa.scary!

    i cant imagine how rizal monument (together with andres bonifacio monument in caloocan) survive battle of manila.ang galing diba?

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  29. Wow...how did you do this...? It is beautiful in all its ugliness...

    What a mood...looks like hell...or at least the end of the world!
    Great sky !
    You should enter one of those in a contest about pollution. Sure winner ka.

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  30. Ang ganda na sana kaso eyesore naman yung mga basura. Dapat linisin na yan.

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  31. whoa! wide angle shots! matagal ng problem ng manila yan. hehehe...

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  32. Ang ganda nung first two photos mo pero sinira nung basura. Wala na kayang pag-asa na malinis ang Manila Bay?

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  33. eyesore ang mga basura. maibabalik pa kay ang dating Manila Bay?

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  34. Lovely photos, visit my blog, there is an award for your great blog!!

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  35. Oo nga attorney. Ang dali dali naman hakutin yung mga basura na yan . mag assign lang ng apat o limang tao araw araw kayang kaya naman nila sigurong hakutin yan. Magkano lang ang suweldo ng basurero kung baga.

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  36. LS: I certainly enjoyed the sky if not the beach. The colors were so intense. Your country shines with beauty.

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  37. kung pwedeng lang hukayin in an instant lahat ng basura dyan nagawa ko na.

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  38. yikes, fishing in the garbage dump isn't my cup of tea. The Manila sunset is still awesome :)

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  39. Oh, are you serious? or are they really seriously fishing and swimming out there?

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