[2] Manila Bay drains approximately 17,000 km2 (6,563.7 sq mi) of watershed area, with the Pampanga River contributing about 49% of the freshwater influx.

On either side of the bay are volcanic peaks topped with tropical foliage: 40 km to the north is the Bataan Peninsula and to the south is the province of Cavite.

[4] With its proud historic past and abundant marine life,[5] Manila Bay became the ocean portal and Filipino epicenter for government, economy and industry.

[4] During the Russo-Japanese War at the close of the Battle of Tsushima in 1905, three surviving Russian protected cruisers (the Aurora, Zhemchug, and Oleg) managed to make port in then-United States-controlled Manila for repairs.

Coastal and marine habitats in the area include upland forests, mangrove, mudflats, sandy beaches, sea grass and coral reefs.

Like the coral reefs, most of the seagrass beds in Manila Bay are found near its mouth, most notably in the areas of Malolos, Orion, Mariveles, and Corregidor Island.

[9] Within the watershed of Manila Bay upland forests abound which are sources of food, timber, fuel wood and other products, as well as habitats for wildlife.

What later became known as Baywalk, the facelift of the 2 km strip of central public space aimed at creating a venue for social interaction and recreation.

The mix of land utilization and social activity provides public access to the edge of the sea, and counters vagrancy and mendicancy.

[14] Reviving Manila's waterfront through the Baywalk injected vibrance and historic appreciation into the public space with the statues of Arsenio Lacson, Ninoy Aquino and Evelio Javier placed in key areas.

As indicated in the 1987 Constitution (Article II, Section 16) there exists legal basis for environmental protection with the provision that: “the State shall protect and advance the right of the people to a balanced and healthful ecology in accord with the rhythm and harmony of nature.”[16] Manila Bay Declaration 2001 recognized Manila Bay as a source of food, employment and income for the people as well as the gateway for tourism and recreation.

[18] Despite the issues generally associated with developing countries, such as poverty, over-population and food security, there is surprisingly a growing concern for the environmental vitality of Manila Bay.

Rehabilitation, which in this case refers to an attempt to improve an aquatic system and prevent further damage to the natural ecosystems,[19] is a responsibility assumed both by government and non-government organizations.

Among these include the timing of the project which was implemented amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns of adverse environmental effects caused by dumping dolomite on the polluted Manila Bay.

The DENR reported significant drop of fecal coliform level in the waters around the beach, from 2.2 million mpn/100ml last January 4, 2021 to 523,000 mpn/100 ml in February 2021, based on the average count from three monitoring stations.

[33][34] Successive changes in and around Manila Bay are largely due to the intertwining impacts of continued industrialization, unrelenting increase in population, and incessant human activities catering to livelihood and habitation.

[2] As indicated by the exposed roots of the coconut trees, continuing soil erosion has been a major factor in the changing shoreline of Manila Bay.

Aside from oil spills, trace metals such as copper, cadmium and zinc at the surface of the water[39] were found at the bay coming from sea-based and land-based (e.g., domestic sewage, industrial effluents, runoff, combustion emissions, and mining operations)[1] sources.

In 1997, polychlorinated biphenyl congeners, compounds common in transformers, hydraulic fluids, paint additives and pesticides were determined in sediments and oysters sampled from Manila Bay.

[18] The increase in the nutrient concentration and presence of nitrate, ammonia and phosphate in the bay, from the 1980s, through to the 1990s and beyond are not only attributed to agricultural runoff and river discharges but also on fertilizers from fishponds.

With recent studies predicting that the sea level could rise between .75 and 1.9 metres by 2100[43] and considering the vast landscape of development, growing industries and overly dense population, the exponential assets exposed to flood-prone zones is a dire issue.

[45] Due to the low profile of environmentalism and its objectives within the nation of the Philippines, official awareness of global warming and the investment to applicable research is in itself triumphant.

Further steps to meet the challenge of rehabilitation and sea-level rise within Manila Bay may include additional research to gain insight to the complex nature of existent ecosystems; investment to coastal protection means such as the implementation of concrete walls;[44] laws and policies dedicated to the protection of habitats and restriction or zoning of developments; as well as public educational programs to increase the intensity of conservation support.

Long-term goals for Manila Bay would ideally include the decrease or termination of nearby highly polluting enterprises, implementation effective standards for waste-water discharge and an overall improved water quality.