DENR eyes reopening of Manila Bay ‘white sand beach’ to public this July

MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is considering reopening the Manila Bay “white sand beach” to the public next month, Undersecretary Benny Antiporda said Monday.

Antiporda said the DENR is currently “fast-tracking” the clean-up and the beautification of the Manila Bay white sand beach, which is actually crushed dolomite – a type of limestone – that was extracted and shipped from Cebu province to cover the original black sand of the famous shoreline as part of the environment agency’s 2019 Manila Bay Rehabilitation program to curb pollution in the body of water.

“The DENR is fast-tracking everything. Personal na pinangangasiwaan ng ating Kalihim Roy Cimatu. Based on the information na natanggap ng inyong lingkod, minamadali ‘yan na maari na hanggang July na ma-open na ‘yan or matapos na ‘yang proyekto na ‘yan,” he said in a Laging Handa public briefing.

(The DENR is fast-tracking everything. That is being personally handled by Sec. Roy Cimatu. Based on the information I gathered, that is being expedited so that it may be opened in July.)

“Rest assured na ang taumbayan ay may makikitang malaking pagbabago at pag-ganda ng Manila Bay,” he added.

(We assure the public that they will see a big change and beautification of Manila Bay.)

The Manila Bay white sand beach project stirred controversy last year as many have criticized it as a “completely absurd and highfalutin rehabilitation” effort; that it “would not do anything”; and the artificial sand could easily be washed out by storm surges or rising tides.

The DENR’s 2019 Manila Bay Rehabilitation program was reported to cost P389 million, of which some P28 million was allocated for the dolomite overlay.

The national government rationalized the move, with DENR saying the white sand makeover will discourage people from throwing garbage in the area while Malacañang said the project will benefit the mental health of Filipinos during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The DENR had to overlay a fresh layer of crushed dolomite in April this year after storms “washed in” black sand over the artificial white sand beach.

KGA