Channele Reynaldine Y. Beros, @kaaksyon_cha BAJ 3A | PublicAksyon Posted on October 7, 2022
A coastline cleanup at Manila's Dolomite Beach was conducted on September 17 in commemoration of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day 2022 by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and more than 4,000 volunteers from various governmental and non-governmental groups. 📷 ABS-CBN News
MANILA, Philippines — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) led the coastal cleanup of the Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach on September 17 in honor of the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day 2022. The event's theme was "Fighting for Trash Free Seas-Pilipinas: Ending the Flow of Trash at the Source."
Over 4,000 volunteers, according to DENR-Metropolitan Environmental Office (MEO) West OIC Director Rodelina de Villa, participated in the cleanup operation, which produced at least 4,500 sacks of garbage. Plastic wastes, dried water hyacinth, and marine debris made up the majority of the garbage that was gathered, according to de Villa.
(Video courtesy of FB: Jeremiah ni Ronloi / Video link: International Coastal Clean Up. Dolomite beach Manila Bay)
The DENR Central Office provided 3,000 of the 4,500 sacks through the Manila Bay Coordinating Office (MBCO), and the DENR-National Capital Region, which includes the DENR-MEO West, contributed 1,500 trash bags.
The Manila City administration, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Philippine Army, Philippine Air Force, Philippine National Police (PNP), PNP-Maritime Group, and Philippine Coast Guard are among the private and public institutions who supplied additional trash bags for the coastal cleanup. According to DENR, Maynilad Water Services Inc., Manila Water Company Inc., and the Dragon Boat Federation of the Philippines also took part in the event.
“This day is a call to action for every one of us to take part in keeping our coasts and beaches clean. We remain steadfast in our commitment to help in the rehabilitation of Manila Bay. Patuloy kami sa aming Toka na aming naisasagawa sa pakikipagtulungan sa aming mga partners kaya naman lubos kaming nagpapasalamat sa DENR, DENR-NCR, LLDA, LWUA at MWSS.” says Jennifer Delos Santos, Head of Manila Water’s Advocacy and Research Department. The preservation of water resources has always been a priority for Manila Water's environmental advocacy, particularly Toka Toka, the nation's first and only environmental movement that advocates for proper wastewater management in every home as a crucial component (or "toka") in reviving our rivers and waterways.
“However big and daunting the task is, we can make a difference by bringing communities and people together to clean up beaches. Proof of this are organizations and individuals coming together at the Baywalk Dolomite Beach,” DENR-Metropolitan Environmental Office (MEO) West OIC Director Rodelina de Villa said. She considers the Manila Baywalk as an example of the cross-sector cooperation required to eliminate coastal garbage through focused beach cleanup initiatives.
“The International Coastal Clean-up Drive is vital as it promotes and unites countries and people with one common objective which is to take care of our environment by maintaining the cleanliness of our shorelines, rivers, lakes, and other waterways,” the PCG stated. Participants in the project included 310 coast guards as well as representatives from the PCG Auxiliary, Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), Heirs of the World Inc., Hotel 101 Manila, Climate Change Commission, and Eagles Club.
The goal of the International Coastal Cleanup Day, which is observed by nations around the globe, is to encourage people to eliminate rubbish from beaches and other bodies of water. The Ocean Conservancy organized the first International CleanUp Day in 1986 with the assistance of other organizations and volunteers. Since the movement's founding, a lot has been accomplished; it is believed that there are at least six million clean-up volunteers in more than 90 countries.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) advocated for more cooperation between all sectors to eliminate coastal trash through focused beach cleanup initiatives. Prior to the International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) Day in 2022, a number of governmental and non-governmental organizations demonstrated their own efforts by holding their own cleanup activities throughout the coastline.
Environmental organizations, however, highlighted the risks of dump-and-fill operations after areas in Manila experienced flooding, which was initially attributed to the construction of Dolomite Beach. In August, as typhoons surged through the Metro, the environmental organization Oceana raised awareness of the danger that unlawful dump-and-fill projects on Dolomite Beach posed.
Lawyer Rose-Liza Eisma-Osorio, legal and policy director of Oceana, stated: "Experts say Manila Bay is also not safe for reclamation and similar coastal development activities due to the existence of many natural hazards, such as land subsidence (sinking), flooding, and storm surges brought on by stronger typhoons. “We cannot ignore the fact that reclaiming our coastlines in Manila Bay is like putting a plug on a bathtub full of water and closing the natural outflow of water towards the bay.”
Over 30 million people who live in and around Manila Bay could be at risk as a result of illegal dump-and-fill projects. Cleanup efforts from July 12 to September 14 resulted in the collection of 147,939 sacks of solid garbage, according to data from the DENR-MEO-West, whose responsibility it is to manage the maintenance of the 500-meter beach walk. During the period, a total of 83,109 sacks of water hyacinth were also collected, including 2,224 sacks of marine debris.
The challenge of plastic pollution is still being urged on by environmental organizations to corporate polluters. In a statement, Von Hernandez, the worldwide coordinator for Break Free from Plastic, stated, "We can put a stop to plastic clean ups by doubling down on corporate accountability." He also noted that the organization's brand audit program to find polluters is ongoing. “We can’t be spending millions of resources yearly without effectively addressing the roots of the problem. [I]t’s better investment for the government to [just] compel producers and companies to reduce and stop the production of single-use plastics and invest in proven reusable and refill[ing] systems,” he added.
Last September 9, social media users were drawn to images of the Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach littered with garbage piles.
📷 Edd Gumban, The Philippine STAR
In light of the rising COVID-19 instances at the time, they voiced concern at the amount of funding allotted to develop it in 2020. “This only means that dolomite beach is such a waste of money. Definitely not the best solution to clean Manila Bay. It was all artificial. It was never a solution,” another user commented. After being accessible to the public for more than a year, the controversial beach has not been doing well.
The beach, which cost P349 million, was the first stage of a project called "beach nourishment" as stated by the DENR. According to environmentalists, the project skipped the requisite environmental impact evaluations and the phase of public participation. Authorities have criticized it as a waste of funds that could have been used to bolster the nation's pandemic health response. The usage of the contentious dolomite sand, a project in line with the bay's rehabilitation program, may pose dangers to human health and the marine environment, based on a warning from the UP MSI in October 2020. Given the conditions in coastal areas of Metro Manila during storm seasons, the institute warned, dolomite sand grains are most likely to dissolve. It was claimed that even in the presence of a breakwater, or man-made barrier created to fend off waves, high seas and enormous waves produced by weather disturbances may still destroy the baywalk. “Beach nourishment projects are not one-shot deals, especially for continuously eroding shorelines... Hence, continuously replacing the sand will be expensive and will not contribute to improving water quality in the Bay,” the institution continued, pointing out that Manila Bay's two main issues right now are the threat of erosion and poor water quality.
Beach nourishment, also known as beach replenishment, is the process of enhancing beaches with sand or other debris to reduce erosion and widen the beach. Similar to how beach armoring, sand feeding is considered an option. Beach nourishment only delays erosion for a brief period; it does not, it is vital to remember, stop erosion. The UP MSI emphasized that the rehabilitation program for Manila Bay should take "no shortcuts," and that the aesthetic initiative is, at most, a “beautification effort that is costly and temporary.”
The main intersection and international entrance to the nation's political, economic, and social hub is Manila Bay. However, a number of land- and sea-based human activities continuously put the sustainability of the Bay and its complex ecology in jeopardy, contributing to the deterioration of its natural quality. Problems on the bay are brought on by overuse of resources, harmful and illegal fishing, habitat damage, pollution, siltation and sedimentation, unchecked development, and competing uses of the few available resources. Thus, the national government is eager to protect and conserve the bay. The 500-meter beach project was pushed by the former administration of then-President Rodrigo Duterte as a strategy to improve Filipinos' mental health during the pandemic lockdowns. It started in the pandemic year of 2020. At the Baywalk in Manila, on January 27, 2019, DENR Secretary Roy A. Cimatu formally announced the beginning of the Manila Bay Rehabilitation. “This is one battle that will be won not with force or arms, but with the firm resolve to bring Manila Bay back to life.” He added, “With the commitment and determination of every Filipino to do his share in this rehabilitation effort, we have already won the battle for Manila Bay.” The government is optimistic about this project. Different government departments and non-governmental organizations are being urged by the government and the DENR to clean up, restore, and preserve Manila Bay as well as to help in restoring and maintaining its water level.
Keywords:
DENR
coastal cleanup
Manila Baywalk
Dolomite Beach
International Coastal Cleanup
volunteers
garbage
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