Mangroves, not dolomites: UP biologists offer services to rehabilitate Manila Bay

MANILA – “Science-based” programs should be implemented to rehabilitate Manila Bay, said biologists from the University of the Philippines (UP) Diliman, offering their services to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

“We advocate and are willing to assist DENR in a science-based rehabilitation program for Manila Bay that aims to restore its biological functions and services (for example, by restoring and protecting key habitats, managing invasive species, reducing pollution, etc.) and understands the interaction between natural processes and human activities, “said the Institute of Biology of the UP in a recent statement.

“To be successful, the rehabilitation program must demonstrate an understanding of land-sea connectivity, as well as potential immediate, short-term and long-term impacts at the species, ecosystem and seascape scale. Its core must be the strategic protection and conservation of biodiversity and ecological integrity that ecosystem services provide: the real reason we need to rehabilitate Manila Bay, ”he added.

The institute said the dolomite sand budget could have been allocated as resources for the pandemic response or “viable and scientifically sound projects that can restore Manila Bay to a state fit for recreation.”

“The recent effort to pour dolomite sand into a reclaimed part of Manila Bay is not the best way to spend government money; a critical resource during the pandemic that could have been better put to good use by spending for the needs of frontline physicians and the millions of our hungry Filipino colleagues, ”experts said.

“The fund should have been directed towards more viable and scientifically sound projects that can restore Manila Bay to a state fit for recreation. Collaborative action between institutions and stakeholders is needed to ensure that efforts to rehabilitate Manila Bay benefit both the environment and society, ”he added.

They added that the dumping of dolomite sand reduced the habitat of migratory waterfowl, including “threatened species.”

“The dolomite spill in Manila Bay has effectively covered part of the intertidal area used by birds, thus reducing their habitat,” the institute said.

“Any reduction or loss of habitat will reduce the opportunities for migratory birds to feed and refuel on their migratory journey,” he added.

Citing as an example the Las Piñas Parafiaque Critical Habitat Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA), the group of biologists suggested that mangrove rehabilitation can help in the “conservation of biodiversity” in Manila Bay.

“Mangrove rehabilitation (based on species and substrate pairing and species zoning) is an example of a nature-based solution (NbS) that is cheaper and more profitable than the dolomite dump project”, added the group.

The UP Institute of Marine Sciences previously said that the rehabilitation of Manila Bay is a “difficult task” and efforts must come from residents, people who use the area and the government.

The institute noted that authorities must address “poor water quality” and the “threat of erosion” in Manila Bay as part of the government’s rehabilitation program.

– With reporting from Josiah Antonio, ABS-CBN News