Metropolitan Manila (MM), the capital of the Philippines is located in the hydraulically complex Pasig River - Laguna de Bay - Manila Bay watershed. Manila Bay is an important economic zone, producing 35-40% of the national GDP. All MM waterways are heavily polluted and the key watercourses, the Marikina and Pasig Rivers, are biologically dead. Up to 75% of pollution is caused by domestic sewage, with the rest originating from industry. Within MM less than 15% of residents are connected to a sewerage system, and most of the wastewater from sewerage and septage is discharged without treatment.
2. The water pollution control sector is complex and fragmented; many government agencies are involved, including: Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System (MWSS) - and its two concessionaires, Manila Water Company Inc. (MWCI) and Maynilad Water Services Inc. (MWSI) - Department of Health (DOH), Laguna Lake Development Authority (LLDA), Pasig River Rehabilitation Commission (PRRC), and local government units (LGUs). The Government of the Philippines (GOP) has taken steps to address the problems in the sector, including policy changes and investment. The GOP enacted the Clean Water Act 2004 (CWA-2004)1 which aims to protect the country’s water bodies from pollution from land-based sources and provides for a comprehensive strategy to prevent and minimize pollution through a multi-sectoral approach. DENR is the primary government agency responsible for the implementation and enforcement of this Act; the responsibility for environmental sanitation, specifically domestic wastewater was a new extension to its mandate.