: The Manila Bay is undergoing rehabilitation right now. What could have
contributed to its siltation and poor water quality? How could this be prevented or
minimized?
Answers
Answer:
The Philippines’ Department of Environment and Natural Resources has come under fire from green groups and government officials after dumping dolomite sand, typically used in construction, on the shores of Manila Bay as part of a beautification project.
Critics say the 389 million peso ($8 million) project has overlooked public consultations and is missing environmental assessments and certificates, which means its true impact on Manila Bay’s marine life remains unclear.
A fisherfolk group says the project is a land reclamation bid posing as rehabilitation, joining several other land reclamation projects along Manila Bay that have already been flagged for social and environmental impacts.
Lawyers say the move violates numerous environmental laws and circumvents a Supreme Court ruling that mandates government agencies to rehabilitate, preserve, restore and maintain the waters of the bay.
MANILA — Philippine authorities’ latest efforts to clean up Manila Bay, one of the country’s most polluted bodies of water, has come under fire after they dumped truckloads of white sand over the shoreline at the end of August.
Mayor Francisco “Isko” Moreno celebrated what he called a long-delayed rehabilitation move, but the artificial sand — crushed dolomite boulders from a quarry in Cebu province in the central Philippines — drew a backlash from environmental groups and public officials.
Environmentalists say the project passed over the public consultation phase and lacked the necessary environmental impact studies. Lawmakers and public officials have called it a waste of resources that could have been diverted to supplement the country’s pandemic health response and provide gadgets for public school students grappling with online learning.
“This project is not timely,” Gloria Estenzo Ramos, executive director of marine conservation NGO Oceana Philippines, said in an online press conference. “This will be a total waste of people’s money. Government resources should be allocated more to helping Filipinos affected by the pandemic.”
Explanation: