3,500 Tons of Absurdity
Not even the whitest sand can obscure the reality that the beautification project of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is an aesthetic façade nor can the crushed dolomites from Cebu embellish the dirty footprints ingrained in Manila Bay.
As a part of Manila Bay rehabilitation, the DENR intended to dump synthetic white sands in the renowned walkway to bring a glimpse of Boracay beach to the Roxas Boulevard strip. It has a P398 million budget allotment that dwells with “beach nourishment, coastal restoration, and enhancement” of the said baywalk.
While its sole purpose is to preserve the beauty of Manila Bay, it is too untimely. We are now being paddled and whacked by an unseen foe and many are dying of hunger and of sickness, yet the government focuses on vain aspects aside from facing the one that should be prioritized in the first place. It is ill-timed when the administration should take action to combat the pandemic. The P398 million budget can be utilized for mass testing, and or to feed the people bombarded by famine in these catastrophic times.
Moreover, a disaster scientist foretells that the fraud white sand will once be swept away from the coastline and will be soaked in the bottom of the sea. If by any chance a grim typhoon paved its way to the said bay and the pseudo sand erodes, it is like we are just throwing millions of money into the sea.
Furthermore, the DENR also failed to abide by the laws in the conduct of their beautification project. Based on the Oceana PH, the sector certainly violated the Environmental Impact System Laws and Regulations, the Fisheries Code (RA 8550) as amended by RA 10654, the Clean Water Act (RA 9275), the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009 (RA 10066), the Local Government Code of 1991 (RA 7160).
The shipping of the dolomite was also not approved by the provincial government of Cebu, and the mining company involved was seemingly unauthorized to serve local clients.
As adverse as it may sound, the dolomites used in the making of the project are clearly detrimental to humans. It poses health peril to the public. There are a number of hazards dolomite can pose to handlers, according to a 2012 safety data report by Texas distributor and builder Lehigh Hanson Inc. Dolomite contains varying levels of crystalline silica, which can cause damage to lungs or even cancer when it is breathed in. The material can also cause irritation to the skin and eyes. (Rappler, 2020)
It may boost tourism around the place and heave the economy settling in the doldrums, however, the problem there is, who will travel to Manila Bay for leisure purposes in the midst of lockdown when recreation activities are prohibited?
This project could be pleasing to the eyes, but the real picture is lurking behind the grains of sand. This white sand will not eradicate the COVID-19 and will not put foods in the mouths of the hungry. If the DENR is surely all for protecting the bay, why don’t they propagate the Mangroves in the area? Rigorously reducing the pollutants is what rehabilitation really means; a clear solution that won’t jeopardize many. When will the government stop to cover the country’s fracture with Band-aid?
