People trooping to Manila Bay’s “dolomite beach” along Roxas Boulevard in Manila city on October 17, 2021, a day after authorities eased its quarantine restrictions in the nation’s capital. (File photo by Ted ALJIBE / AFP)
MANILA, Philippines — The pack of sightseers who visited Manila Bay’s “dolomite beach” over the weekend are being prodded to go on self-quarantine by an official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, which created the P389 million project.
DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda said he is urging the thousands of “white sand” attraction visitors last Sunday to self-quarantine “to keep them safe.”
This comes after the DENR reopened the dolomite beach to the public on the first day of the implementation of COVID-19 Alert Level 3 over Metro Manila last Saturday, October 16.
“Just to keep them safe also, we would like to request that they take [pre]caution,” Antiporda said in a press briefing on Wednesday.
“Mag-quarantine sila sa sarili nila, mag-self quarantine muna sila to make sure na wala silang nakuhang sakit doon sa nangyaring yun noong Sunday,” Antiporda added.
(They should go on self-quarantine, for now, to make sure that they did not contract any disease last Sunday.)
The dolomite beach was opened daily from 8 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. to 6 p.m., but it is now being eyed for closure during weekends to prevent the repeat of last Sunday’s crowding in the area. Minors aged 11 and below are also now barred from visiting the area after reports showed families with their children in tow went to see the coast that was artificially made white with the use of crushed dolomite.
Experts have expressed fears over the apparent lack of social distancing among the weekend dolomite beach visitors since the threat of COVID-19 infections still persists.
The DENR has since relieved the ground commander of the area for the surge of people at the dolomite beach.