Oil-degrading bacteria were isolated from waters and sediments of the Manila Bay and Pasig River [Philippines]. Five types of bacteria were isolated from Manila Bay and four from Pasig River. The identified crude oil degrading species are Vibrio sp., Alcaligenes sp., Flavobacterium indologenes and Acinetobacter sp. from Manila Bay, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus sp., Micrococcus sp. and Pseudomonas putida from Pasig River. These isolates were identified through morphological and physiological characterization. The bioremediation potential for each of the isolates was assessed. The percentages oil conversion for the bacterial isolates ranged from 2.99 percent - 53.44 percent in one week's time. Alcaligenes sp. exhibited the highest biodegradation potential for all isolates. Statistical analysis revealed that the mean percentages diesel oil conversion by the isolates were significantly higher than their mean percentages crude oil conversion. Pure and mixed cultures did not give significant differences in their mean percentages crude oil conversion

Laguna de Bay is the largest freshwater body in the Philippines with multiple-use. The primary use of the lake is to serve as the future domestic water supply at Metro Manila. The biota of the lake consists of 25 species of fish, 24 species of zooplankton, two species of shrimps, 6 species of mollusks, 42 species of aquatic macrophytes and 154 species of algae. A total of 60 mesophilic anaerobic and facultative anaereobic bacteria and 453 bacterial strains belonging to 22 genera have been identified. A review of 12 papers dealing with biological studies on Laguna de Bay in relation to aquatic pollution is presented. Studies on the impact of heavy metal, pesticide and thermal pollution on the biota of the lake have been sporadic and cursory. There is need for a more comprehensive and systematic monitoring of the lake's pollutants to provide time-series for pollution abatement