MANILA, Philippines–The Department of Health (DOH) on Sunday reminded residents in Manila against taking a dip in Manila Bay to cope with soaring temperatures common during the month of May.
DOH spokesman Dr. Lyndon Lee Suy said that swimming in dirty and contaminated bodies of water like the polluted bay could pose serious health risks due to the risk of contracting infectious diseases.
He pointed out that tainted waters contain bacteria which might cause diarrhea, cholera, typhoid fever and Hepatitis B, among other illnesses. It could also trigger skin allergies and respiratory ailments, he added.
“While they may be relieved of the summer heat by swimming in Manila Bay, they also face the threat of getting a wide range of diseases,” Lee Suy warned in an interview with reporters.
During long stretches of hot weather that occurs in May—the peak of summer in the country—many people frolic in Manila Bay to beat the heat, ignoring a warning from the local government and a 59-year-old ordinance prohibiting swimming in the bay.
Lee Suy suggested that if people want to cool off, they could go to public pools in Manila where they could swim for free.