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A planned cleanup to make the waters of Manila Bay safe for bathing will take "a really long time", the Department of Environment and Natural Resources admitted Sunday.

The rehabilitation of the capital's main bayfront would require the relocation of thousands of illegal settlers, whose household waste contribute to 70 percent of the waters' pollution, said DENR Spokesperson Jonas Leones.

Pasig River and Laguna Lake, which both flow into Manila Bay, will also have to be cleaned up, he told radio DZMM.

"It will really take a long time, hindi naman talaga madalian... 'Pag sinabi ko naman sa inyo na within 1 year or 2 years, palagay ko naman hindi rin kayo maniniwala sa amin," he said.

(If I tell you that it will be completed within 1 year or 2 years, I don't think you'd believe us.)

The DENR is still ironing out the rehabilitation plan, which it aims to make public in January, he said.

DZMM, 23 December 2018