The members of the interagency Technical Working Group who worked and contributed their capacities to produce the Atlas were recognized.
 
 The Atlas provides a relevant source of information necessary in policy formulation, planning, decision-making, monitoring, integrated river basin and coastal area management, and in particular, the implementation of the Manila Bay Coastal Strategy. Secretary Atienza noted that the Atlas can serve as a model for the country’s bays and watersheds as it shows issues as well as the major actions towards saving the marine environment, especially Manila Bay.
 
 The Atlas is a key output of the Manila Bay Environmental Management Project (MBEMP), which is being implemented through the concerted efforts of various national government agencies, local government units, academic institutions, the private sector and civil society groups, with the DENR serving as the lead agency. The Director of the Environmental Management Bureau of the DENR, Mr. Julian Amador, presented the key outcomes of years of collaboration among the various sectors and stakeholders in support of the MBEMP.
 
 Dr. Chua pointed out that the Atlas can serve as an invaluable tool to enable a comprehensive approach in restoring Manila Bay that was once looked upon with pride as “a bay of clean and clear water, lined with rich habitats of mangroves and seagrass beds, teamed with fish and marine life and a bay where the children could swim and the inhabitants could stroll along its edge to enjoy the beautiful sunset.”