By: Chaela Loren
Around 5,000 volunteers and environmental groups joined the clean-up drive in Manila Bay in conjunction with the International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) Day on September 17, 2022 . Photo by Eloisa Lopez, GMA News Online
BULACAN, Philippines — A clean-up drive took place to celebrate the International Coastal Clean-up (ICC) Day, led by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), joined by around 5,000 volunteers, at the controversial Dolomite Beach in Manila Bay on September 17.
The ICC happens every third Saturday of September yearly as a cleanup activity that aims to raise awareness of the rising pollution all over the world, with this year’s theme "Fighting for Trash-Free Seas-Pilipinas: Ending the Flow of Trash at the Source."
At least 4,500 sacks of waste were collected during the cleanup activity on Saturday, while there were about 147,939 sacks of solid waste collected from July 12 to September 14 this year.
Ahead of the International Coastal Clean-up Day, environmental group Earth Island Institute, joined by 20 people, conducted their own cleanup drive at the Las Piñas-Parañaque Critical Habitat Ecotourism Area, where they collected more than 20 sacks of plastic waste.
Large piles of plastic waste and other garbage scattered across the shore have emerged in the continuation of the Manila Bay rehabilitation program that started in 2021. Photo from ABS-CBN News Online
Meanwhile, 200 sacks of trash were recovered from the dolomite beach amid Super Typhoon Karding onslaught, days after the cleanup activity.
Netizens showed their dismay as the beach was still full of garbage despite the series of cleanup efforts, calling it a waste of people’s money.
The government, however, remains firm in continuing the rehabilitation of Manila Bay, including the dolomite beach project, because they aim to make it a tourist spot although the large portion of the bay is still extremely polluted.
Controversial Funding
As part of the plan to beautify Manila Bay, the Department of Natural Resources (DENR) developed an artificial beach, which is now called the ‘Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach', in September 2020, that drew mixed reactions from the public.
The dolomite beach became the priority area of the several cleanup drives as part of the Manila Bay rehabilitation project, which has received non stop backlash from the public because of its questionable budget allocated solely for it.
DENR allotted a P265-million budget for the second phase of the rehabilitation project on the P389-million artificial beach this year. However, during the House deliberations for the proposed P22.295-billion budget for DENR on September 21, there will be no funds to be allocated for the dolomite project in 2022.
Groups have been protesting against the artificial land and asked the government to prioritize food over white sand in the worsening economic crisis in the country such as the successive inflation in basic needs.
Fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) has also expressed continuous rejection and is seeking for the Manila dolomite beach's closure.
“What’s with the priority? The country still endures a public health crisis which is far from over.” Pamalakaya said in their statement condemning the prioritization of the artificial white-sand beach.
The group also insisted that the P389-million rehabilitation cost could have been used to better respond to the crisis that is now causing more suffering to the people.
Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) protested against the controversial Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach. Photo from Kodao Productions
It can be remembered that the piling of dolomite sand in Manila Bay from Cebu was carried out during the height of the pandemic when there was a greater need for a budget for the health sector to address the increasing number of cases of COVID-19. But according to former Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque of the previous Duterte administration, seeing white sand is said to help the mental health of Filipinos amid pandemic.
Keywords
Manila Dolomite Beach
Dolomite Beach clean-up
International Coastal Clean-up Day
Controversial Dolomite Beach in Manila Bay
Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program
5,000 volunteers clean up Dolomite Beach
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