Claim: A photo collage shows the state of Manila Bay under three administrations. The image of a cleaned-up beach was taken during the term of former president Rodrigo Duterte, while images of the garbage-ridden Manila Bay were taken during the administrations of Benigno Aquino III and Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Rating: FALSE
Why we fact-checked this: The photo can be found in a September 14 post on the X account of user Allan Jacob. The photo is attributed to a certain “Luminous Group.” The X post states: “Natahimik yung Dolomite watchers. Madumi na kasi ulit eh. Just the way they like it.” (The dolomite watchers were silenced. It’s dirty again. Just the way they like it.)
As of writing, the post has around 320 comments, 192 shares, 551 reactions, 18 bookmarks, and 79,300 views.
The facts: The image of a dirty Manila Bay labeled “Aquino” was taken during the Duterte administration too. It can be seen in an article from Philstar.com titled, “Boracay-like rehab eyed for Manila Bay” published on December 17, 2018.
The caption states that the picture was of a scavenger looking for recyclables after Typhoon Ompong hit the country in September 2018, two years into Duterte’s term.
The second photo labeled “Duterte” was first used as a thumbnail for a press release published by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources on June 24, 2022.
Meanwhile, a reverse image search shows that the third photo was taken in July 2024, under Marcos’ term.
While the second photo shows a cleaned-up Manila Bay — similar to how it looked when it first opened to the public in September 2020 — it hasn’t always remained this way. There have been several cleanup drives to remove garbage strewn on the beach following the onslaught of tropical cyclones in 2020 and 2022, during Duterte’s term.
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Previous related fact-checks: The same image of the dirty beach supposedly taken under Aquino’s term has been featured in at least two previous fact-checks by Rappler. One was on September 7, 2020, in which the images were used to falsely “compare” the state of Manila Bay under the Aquino and Duterte administrations.
In another fact check article on September 22, 2020, the same image supposedly showed the garbage-ridden Manila Bay under the administrations of past presidents Corazon Aquino, Fidel Ramos, Joseph Estrada, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, and Aquino.
Rappler has already fact-checked several false claims about Manila Bay which circulated after the Duterte government filled the baywalk with dolomite sand in September 2020, drawing criticism from environmental groups. ([WATCH] ‘Yung Totoo?: 5 fact check tungkol sa Manila Bay) – Percival Bueser/ Rappler.com
Percival Bueser is a graduate of Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program. This fact check was reviewed by a member of Rappler’s research team and a senior editor. Learn more about Rappler’s fact-checking mentorship program here.
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