Manila’s Sewer System Under American Administration: Its Implications to Health and Sanitation

Abstract

The true intentions of the Americans in acquiring the Philippine territory can be traced in various strategic and economic interests. These are to gather native raw materials and other resources for American consumption and to find new markets for American trade in the Far East. However, these motives are concealed to the eyes of the Filipinos by the so-called “benevolent assimilation”. Benevolent assimilation became the ideological backbone of American conquest over the Philippines. It was declared by William McKinley aimed at winning the affection of the Filipinos and stop their violent resistance against the United States. It was, in effect, claiming that the Americans came to the Philippines not as enemies and conquerors. Rather as friends that would promote prosperity and provide development to the country. When the Americans arrived to the Philippines, they made Manila as their colonial capital. At that time, the city was in a very bad sanitary condition and prevalent health problems were present. The surface land was muddy for there was continuous flooding and often river overflows. There was no proper and systematized collection of garbage and sewage. Practically all sorts of garbage and sewage found their way to open bodies of water like the Pasig River and the system of canals called esteros. According to the Americans, there were also many unsanitary habits of the Manileños like not using soap in bathing and seldom washing of hands. For the Americans, these practices were very disgusting, but for the Filipinos these were just the normal way of life to which they were accustomed. The Americans saw the city as a land of filth. Nevertheless, the Americans cannot live with it and they wanted the convenience that they enjoy in their own civilized country. So they opted to improve Manila’s health and sanitation. It became one perfect avenue for their benevolent decisions over the country. Sanitary program and policies like street sweeping and gutter cleaning, systematic garbage and nightsoil disposal, and establishment of public parks for beautification were implemented. Manila’s sewer system became another avenue for the Americans benevolent decisions. They found out that there were only few existing sewers in the city. They merely rely on tide movements for flushing off sewage. They were wrecked, defective, dirty, and posing serious detriments to the public health. The Americans improved and developed it for their own convenience. They hired the services of their top caliber engineers who recommended the installation of a modem sewer system. They introduced an entirely new system of sewage disposal called dilution, in which wastewater is discharged into Manila Bay where strong action of waves is expected to purify the sewage. The Americans also introduced the use of modern devices like pump and lift stations, centrifugal pumps, automatic regulating apparatus, and manholes. In 1909, the installation of the modern sewerage system was finished and its services were opened to the public. The people did not immediately embraced the system. They did not connect their premises to the sewer services. Soon they did as the United States Supreme Court compelled them. Consequently, the installation of a modern sewerage system resulted to the improvement of health and sanitation. After the system was installed in Manila, statistical records proved that the prevalence of sewage related diseases such as cholera, typhoid, and dysentery lowered. The general mortality rate from such diseases also decreased.