Author | Gin Dela Cruz

In this absolutely great, no, amazing land we live it is impossible to think any imperfection exist. Hardly any flaw can be seen aside from all the racial discrimination, substance abuse, prostitution, political corruption, poverty, deforestation, and such. Alas! In every surface there is a dent, the ineffective rehabilitation of Manila Bay. The cosmetic solution implemented on such serious problem is outrageous and like the saying goes this beauty does not last forever. Not to mention this façade of a magnificent beach does trauma to aquatic environments, bleaching the corals turning them pale.

With a section of the bay open, many admire the aesthetic dolomite sand laid down on the short reaches of Manila Bay. Many otherwise applaud the incredible transformation from sickening pollution to an awe-inspiring landscape. Many others referred to as intellectuals by peers among themselves would oppose it and opt for a different solution, but why would these so-called intellectuals opt for a different solution?

The white sand in Manila bay is also steadily eroding. According to many the sand, after being laid down, washes away. But to fix it we simply and easily have to upsize the already coarse sand particles to mounds of flat-bellied boulders the size of a mammoth to put a stop to erosion and the buried reefs.

Another major threat is coral bleaching due to this rehabilitation program. Coral bleaching puts great stress among the vast coral reefs, it turns the colorful vibrant habitats into empty white husks. Every inch and hectare of these reefs will follow the warped beauty standard we have, a white as pale as snow, if we don’t take measures against it.

To solve this threat on the guise of such places I present a marvelous proposition even greater than solving global warming, I suggest we paint it colors! Paint the fading corals in every hue and every pattern. Paint it in astounding detail with grand underwater murals and an assortment of mesmerizing tessellations. And while we’re at it why not paint the newly placed boulders the whitest of white for a truly beautiful shore albeit quite an elevated and uneven one.

To pull of this massive and, yes, world-changing project we would first have to dig up all 293 hectares worth of corals near Manila which is colossal, so we limit it to the 100 hectares of corals near the bay for the time being. This alone would cost an enormous sum of money but it’d barely a hole in the 8.6 trillion pesos debt of the Philippines.