Criticism of the beautification of Manila Bay ‘out of place’, only P28-M was spent on white sand: DILG

MANILA – Officials from the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) once again defended the Manila Bay beautification project, saying that criticism of the program was “misplaced.”

“Once the project is completed, we invite the public to enjoy the rehabilitated and nourished beach and see for themselves if it is harmful,” Interior Secretary Eduardo Año, vice president of the Bay Task Force, said in a statement on Saturday. from Manila.

A year, a retired general, claimed that the dolomite used as artificial white sand in Manila Bay “is a common material used in beach nutrition” in resorts around the world.

Interior Undersecretary Jonathan Malaya said the project was only P28 million, contrary to reports.

“That already covers the price of the dolomite sand, the cost of transportation, taxes and other fees. That is the cost package that includes delivery from Cebu to Manila Bay. It’s not 389 million, but 28 million.” it said in a statement.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources had said that the white sand project was funded through a special purpose fund under the General Appropriations Act of 2019 aimed at the rehabilitation of Manila Bay.

“The project was approved by Congress under the General Appropriations Act of 2019, underwent competitive bidding under RA 9184, and was awarded before the global pandemic. The government cannot simply stop a project when it already has a contractual obligation to continue. We also have a responsibility to clean and rehabilitate Manila Bay for ourselves and future generations, ”added Malaya.

He also claimed that the project did not affect the government’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

“We urge critics to study the issue first before making unsubstantiated accusations against worthy government projects. We welcome any investigation into this project, whether in the courts of law or in the courts of public opinion. All these criticisms are misplaced, ”Malaya said.

But storms and high tide could wash away the artificial white sand that the government dumped around Manila Bay, a scientist said.

Sand is “always transported from one place to another” along the beaches because “there is a lot of energy that makes the materials move,” said Mahar Lagmay, executive director of the Resilience Institute at the University of the Philippines.

“If you put white sand in that place, chances are that during storms and during high tide, when the waves are high … all the sand will be washed and transported,” he told ANC.

Cebu, where the artificial white sand was sourced, has since banned the mining of dolomite.