I n Metro Manila, less than 3% of the population is connected to a sewerage facility. Around 85% have septic tanks, the majority of which were constructed without
adequate leaching fields and are rarely maintained or desludged. This situation has
led to the pollution of Metro Manila s waterways. It is estimated that around 70% of
the pollution load of Pasig River and Laguna de Bay come from domestic wastewater
discharges. The World Bank has previously supported the Metropolitan Waterworks and
Sewerage System (MWSS) with a sewerage and sanitation project. I n 1980, the
World Bank financed the Manila Sewerage and Sanitation Project along with the
Asian Development Bank. The start of the project coincided with the onset of
economic difficulties in the Philippines so that some components were not completed
and others failed to have the anticipated impact