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Filipinos are asking Department of Environment and Natural Resources focus on alleviating water pollution in Manila Bay after it began dumping powdered dolomite rocks on the bay promenade as part of the port’s rehabilitation program.
The government agency caught the public’s attention when images and videos of what appeared to be “white sands” and “sand dunes” in the vicinity of the bay appeared online.
Reports said the department sought to fill 500 meters of the bay promenade Roxas Boulevard with pulverized dolomite rocks from Cebu as part of the Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program that started in January 2017.
“It will be white sand, here in the area of the promenade of the bay, so that people see that when something is white it is necessary to take care of it and not contaminate it”, undersecretary of the DENR. Benny antiporda he was quoted as saying in a report Wednesday.
Later cleared up that pulverized dolomite rocks were dumped on the bay promenade, contrary to reports that white sands were brought in.
A dolomite is a sedimentary rock that has color ranges from white to gray and from white to light brown. It is used for building materials and has the ability to neutralize acids.
Antiporda said the initiative is for people who are unable to go to Boracay or other tourist destinations amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Boracay, the main tourist destination in the country, is internationally recognized for its pristine beaches of fine white sand.
LOOK: This part of Manila Bay has started to accumulate white sand. The DENR aims to make the white sand beach the place for compatriots who cannot go to Boracay and other tourist destinations pic.twitter.com/7OMjvDwX61
– Shyla Francisco (@ShylaFrancisco) September 3, 2020
Workers prepare white sand in Manila Bay on Thursday, which has been undergoing rehabilitation since January 27, 2019 after DENR recorded extremely high levels of fecal coliforms in the main outfalls of Manila Bay. pic.twitter.com/6SzqOBJDkn
– The Philippine star (@PhilippineStar) September 3, 2020
Authorities are reportedly expecting to see “white sands” in the area as International Coastal Cleanup Day approaches on 18 September.
The event encourages the public to get rid of trash from the beaches and make them aware of the preservation of the oceans and waterways.
Several cabinet members will oversee the program once it is done.
Antiporda admitted that while part of the walk through the bay would be filled with pulverized dolomite rocks, the quality of the bay’s water remains unsurpassed.
“But water quality, of course, we are still chasing it. We don’t want to push people here who have a health risk, ”he said.
The problem is ‘contamination’
Some Filipinos, including the environmental group Youth Strike for Climate in the PhilippinesThey were not impressed by the move.
The group urged DENR to focus on removing pollution from the bay’s water rather than artificially beautifying the area.
“The problem is not the high fecal coliform content, but the pollution currently facing Manila Bay. STOP HARVESTING SAND FROM OTHER PLACES JUST TO BRIGHTEN THIS DIRTY BAY. There are so many issues we must FOCUS on such as the response to the pandemic, and yet here is our government, doing these things, ”the group said on its page.
GMA Broadcast Journalist Araullo Atom he wondered if the project is “sustainable” and shared his concerns about its possible environmental impacts.
“Since white sand is not a natural feature of Manila Bay, one wonders if this project is sustainable. Also, where is the white sand mined? The environmental impact of this type of operation is worrying, “he said. tweeted.
Another Twitter user accused the initiative of being “short term” and urged officials to address the problem with the waters of Manila Bay.
“First address how to minimize pollution. Does it seem like a short-term plan? How can you visit Manila Bay? This seems destructive and unsustainable, ”said the online user said.
“It’s not that we lack sand in Manila, we lack responsibility and accountability to fix the waste that goes to the bay,” commented another. online user with an emoji of a man doing facepalm.
Last January, Secretary of the Environment Roy cimatu said the top priority of the DENR until 2022 or until the president Rodrigo duterte Steps down is the complete rehabilitation of Manila Bay.
He admitted that while it is challenging to clean up its highly polluted waters, they would make it suitable for people to swim and be a place of recreation.
“Our effort to restore Manila Bay is now in full swing and we hope to maintain the momentum to restore it to its former glory for years to come,” Cimatu said earlier.
That month, fecal coliform levels in the Manila Bay Promenade, Baseco Beach and the Estero Antonio de Abad were reduced due to the department’s rehabilitation efforts, but it was still not enough.
Last March, the waters of the port turned turquoise blue, which initially impressed Filipinos but turned out to be an effect of harmful pollutants.
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