by: Christian DR. Apole
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and other organizations collects sacks of waste materials during a coastal clean-up drive with the volunteers at the Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach on Sept. 17, 2022. (Photo by PCG)
On Friday, September 30, to commemorate International Coastal Clean-up Day, more than a thousand sacks of waste were gathered at the "Dolomite beach" in Manila Bay.
As early as 6 a.m., coast guards began collecting waste that had washed up on the man-made white sand beach along the Roxas Boulevard section while wearing casual shirts and shorts in their signature colors of orange and black.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Climate Change Commission, and other organizations conducted the operation, which included almost 5,000 volunteers.
Over 4,000 volunteers took part in the cleanup process, according to DENR Metropolitan Environmental Office (MEO) West OIC Director Rodelina de Villa.
Volunteers from the public, business, and individual sectors showed up to the Baywalk's shoreline with their own trash bags as well," de Villa stated.
She said that out of the 4,500 sacks, 3,000 were delivered by the DENR Central Office via the Manila Bay Coordinating Office (MBCO) and 1,500 by the DENR-National Capital Region, which comprises the DENR-MEO West.
The Philippine Coast Guard participated in the cleanup drive on the coast of Manila Bay. (Photo from the PCG)
The Manila City government, the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, the Philippine Army, the Philippine Air Force, the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Philippine National Police-Maritime Group, and the Philippine Coast Guard had been a few participating national, local, and private organizations that provided more garbage bags.
To sum it up, 147,939 sacks of solid waste were collected during the clean-up campaign that took place from July 12 to September 14, 2022, due in large part to the participation of Maynilad Water Services Inc., Manila Water Company, and the Dragon Boat Federation of the Philippines in the 500-meter beach walk.
The government participated in a cleanup effort on Saturday in honor of International Coastal Clean-Up Day, clearing away a total of 83,109 water hyacinth bags, including 2,224 bags of marine debris.
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The estimated cost of the entire Manila Bay rehabilitation project is PHP389 million, of which, around PHP28 million is allotted for the dolomite overlay.
But no other area in Manila Bay emphasized the significance of the environmental activity being celebrated on Saturday more than Dolomite Beach — which critics saw as an unnecessarily expensive project under the DENR's supervision at the time.
On Saturday, the agency issued a "public advisory" on its Facebook page inviting the public to help with the cleanup.
When contacted for comment, Leones stated that the initiative "aims to help clean our seas and oceans through volunteerism and emphasize their life-giving importance to humans."
However, the post sparked outrage on Facebook and other social media platforms.
"You spent millions on the dolomite, and the Filipinos will end up cleaning," one commenter said.
READ: DOLOMITE PROJECT JUST ONE OF MANY ECOLOGICAL THREATS SEEN IN MANILA BAY
- Following the flooding in areas in Manila earlier this month, an environmental group emphasized the dangers of dump-and-fill projects, such as what was done to put in place Dolomite Beach, which was first thought to be the reason behind the flooding.
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READ: MMDA CONDUCTS CLEAN UP OPERATIONS IN MANILA BAY
“Stop the habit of indiscriminate dumping not only in Manila Bay but also on different waterways in the metropolis,” Abalos stressed.
Abalos also said the agency has sought the assistance of the Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Eduardo Año to tap police assistance in apprehending individuals who throw garbage in Manila Bay.
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According to Melgar, the three main drainage outposts, which have been closed due to repairs conducted by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), are responsible for draining floodwaters to Manila Bay.
The pumping stations and pipelines, according to Melgar, are all “part of the engineering solutions that the government has put in place to further decrease the high coliform level count in the area and make the quality of water in Manila Bay ‘swimmable.’
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KEYWORDS
Philippine Coast Guard
DENR
International Coastal Clean-Up Day
Dolomite beach
Solid waste
Clean-up campaign
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