Assessment of Marine Microplastics (FY 2022)

Started: September 8, 2022

The Supreme Court issued a writ of continuing mandamus directing the national and local government agencies to clean up, rehabilitate and restore Manila Bay. In response to this Order, the Operational Plan for the Manila Bay Coastal Strategy (OPMBCS) was formulated to facilitate the implementation of a consolidated approach to clean up the Bay.

One of the major objectives of the OPMBCS with its Mandamus Agencies and Manila Bay Rehabilitation Task Force is to reduce the pollution load entering Manila Bay. Pollution load is comprised of solid and liquid wastes, toxic and hazardous wastes, sewage, and industrial waste, among others. In particular, plastic pollution is of great concern due to its flow from land to water bodies, breaking down into smaller pieces known as plastic debris or microplastics and posing a threat to living organisms and the environment. To determine the presence of plastic debris entering the Bay, the conduct of Baseline Study of Marine Plastic Debris (Microplastics) in Selected Sites along Cavite Coastline is an essential projector activity where it can depict the concentration and physical and chemical composition of microplastics and identify appropriate interventions that will contribute to the Water Quality and Solid Waste Management objectives.

The conduct of baseline monitoring is necessary to determine the presence of microplastics in rivers and beaches within the Manila Bay watershed. The output of the project will be helpful in the identification of more effective action plans in solid waste management programs and wastewater treatment systems and enhance the strategies for the reduction of solid and liquid waste pollution.