AN official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said the P389-million Manila Bay Beach Nourishment Project is still a work-in-progress and will require the contractor to procure and overlay more crushed dolomite.
On top of more dolomite, DENR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning, and International Affairs Jonas R. Leones said a breakwater to keep the artificial white and intact and protected from strong waves is being eyed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and its contractor, MAC Builders and Dragonhart Construction Enterprises Inc. joint venture.
The official is confident that engineering intervention will keep the artificial white sand in a 500-meter portion of Manila Bay intact, even with strong typhoons directly affecting Manila Bay.
The beach nourishment project, particularly the overlaying of the crushed dolomite to create a “Boracay beach-like effect,” was criticized as a waste of public funds. Critics say the funds for the project could have been used for other worthwhile projects especially in time of the pandemic or should have been spent for real coastal rehabilitation program and help improve water quality.
Upon extraction of debris in the 500-meter portion of Baywalk from the Manila Yacht Club to the US Embassy in Manila, the project proponents dumped two layers of ordinary sand before overlaying it with crushed dolomite.
Unfortunately, Leones said, the Cebu Provincial Government issued a cease-and-desist order against two Cebu mining firms preventing them from transporting crushed dolomite to finish the project.
With crushed dolomite rising at least a meters high above sea level, he is confident that washing in of ordinary sand or washing out of the artificial white sand will be minimized.
Leones said the dolomite beach is not the only purpose of the beach nourishment. Aside from replenishing the eroded beach with sand, he said the project has a soil erosion prevention component. The geotubes, he said prevent soil erosion, hence, keeping the sand intact despite heavy rainfall or storm surge.
However, Leones said, the construction of a breakwater becomes inevitable as violent storm surge is known to occur in Manila Bay, particularly along Roxas Boulevard, in the past.
He said the length, thickness or height of the breakwater and where it will be constructed will depend on the DPWH and its contractor. “This will be at no cost to the DENR, because it is part of the plan,” Leones said.
Leones also told the BusinessMirror that the construction of a breakwater aims not only to protect the dolomite, but as a flood-control measure to protect low-lying areas in Manila, Pasay, Las Piñas and Parañaque.
Based on the 2020 Manila Baywalk Perspective showed by Leones to the media revealed that the controversial beach nourishment project is far from over.
More crushed dolomite, he said, will have to be procured by the project proponents, confident that the local ban on transporting dolomite from Alcoy, Cebu will eventually, be lifted.
He said the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) is currently in talks with the Cebu Provincial Government.
Based on the perspective, at least two offices that will house law enforcers and representatives of so-called mandamus agencies will rise at the Baywalk along Roxas Boulevard. There will also be two souvenir shops and two comfort rooms harnessing the Baywalk as a future tourist spot.
“This is a portion of our presentation to the media last time. Again, the breakwater although part of the plan is still subject to the conduct of feasibility study, EIA [environmental impact assessment] and consultation with other government agencies such as PCG [Philippine Coast Guard], PPA [Philippine Ports Authority], [PRA] Philippine Retirement Authority, NAMRIA [National Mapping and Resource Information Authority],” said Leones.
Leones said the construction of the breakwater has always been part of the beach nourishment plan but the overlaying of the crushed dolomite came in first.
“This [breakwater] was included in the plan because the construction of the breakwater is part of the flood-control program of DPWH to protect not only the beach nourishment area but the Baywalk as a whole. Recall in the past that there was a time when all the garbage and wastes overflow the Baywalk. Hope you can help us disseminate the info,” he said.