A few days before President Marcos stood in his pulpit and delivered the State of the Nation Address which sparked the investigations into anomalous flood projects, it was revealed that Dolomite beach was to be blamed for flooding in parts of the capital. The construction of Dolomite beach was part of the Manila Bay reclamation project during Duterte's term as president.
 |
| https://www.philstar.com/nation/2025/07/17/2458513/dolomite-beach-mrt-7-project-blamed-floods |
The artificial dolomite beach along Manila Bay and the ongoing construction of the Metro Rail Transit Line 7 (MRT-7) are to blame for floods in parts of the capital, according to the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA).
Flooding along Taft and Commonwealth Avenues could be attributed to the closure of three outfalls during Manila Bay’s rehabilitation and MRT-7 columns obstructing drainage inlets, MMDA Chairman Romando Artes said.
The dolomite beach was installed ostensibly as part of Manila Bay’s restoration, as ordered by the Supreme Court, along with the treatment of wastewater discharged into the bay.
Three outfalls at Faura and Remedios streets and Estero de San Antonio Abad were closed to redirect wastewater to a treatment plant.
“The facility’s capacity is too small to process the volume of wastewater immediately. That’s why wastewater accumulates on the road before it is released,” Artes said.
Mayor Isko Moreno and Artes witnessed yesterday the removal of the outfall barrier at the Estero de San Antonio Abad, which leads to the Manila Yacht Club area.
Artes said the Remedios outfall floodgate could also be removed.
MMDA officials inspected yesterday MRT-7’s Batasan station, where the columns have obstructed nearby drainage inlets, leading to floods last month.
The construction of Metro Rail Transit Line 7 is also to blame for the flooding but the focus will be on Dolomite beach. Metro Rail Transit Line 7 is a necessary expansion of Manila's transportation infrastructure while Dolomite beach was an obvious "criminal waste of funds."
 |
| https://mb.com.ph/2025/07/17/flood-trigger-dolomite-beach-a-criminal-waste-of-funds-says-ridon |
Bicol Saro Party-list Rep. Terry Ridon is eyeing a House inquiry on the environmental impact of the Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program, which has led to the creation of the controversial Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach.
For this purpose, Ridon filed House Resolution (HR) No. 56, which urged the House Committee on Public Accounts and other appropriate committees to conduct a full probe, in aid of legislation.
Ridon's filing followed claims from the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA), through its Chairman Don Artes, that the dolomite beach project was a direct contributor to the persistent flooding in the city of Manila.
It reportedly causes the blockage of three major drainage outfalls—Faura, Remedios, and Estero de San Antonio Abad—forcing rainwater to be rerouted through a sewerage treatment plant incapable of handling flood volumes during heavy rains.
White-colored dolomite sand was used for the beach nourishment, coastal restoration, and enhancement of the Manila Baywalk area during the previous Duterte administration.
"To be clear, the dolomite project was never part of the NEDA (National Economic and Development Authority)-approved Manila Bay Rehabilitation Master Plan. This was publicly admitted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) during congressional budget deliberations in 2020," Ridon said in a statement.
"As such, it was never envisioned to protect Manila Bay’s coastal resources nor to prevent coastal flooding, erosion, or pollution. It is a cosmetic project masquerading as rehabilitation, and has now proven harmful to flood mitigation efforts in Manila," he noted.
"It is nothing but a criminal wastage of public funds—₱389 million that could have been far better spent on sewage treatment plants and other engineering interventions grounded in science and sustainability," Ridon further said.
The Bicol Saro solon said the congressional inquiry will determine criminal and administrative liability, and hold every government official directly involved in the origination, planning, and implementation of the artificial beach project accountable.
"This is a project that was not in the master plan. And it now stands as a culprit in worsening floods in the heart of the nation’s capital. On these grounds, graft charges are all but certain," Ridon, a lawyer, reckoned.
"And if, in the course of the inquiry, we find that the requirements for plunder are met, then so be it," he said.
Dolomite beach was never part of the "NEDA-approved Manila Bay Rehabilitation Master Plan." How it was allowed to happen is what an investigation would reveal. It's not like any of this is news. Back in 2020 it was revealed that Dolomite beach was not only not approved by NEDA but was wasting funds by transporting crushed Dolomite from Cebu.
 |
| https://www.philstar.com/nation/2020/09/03/2039869/white-sanding-along-manila-bay-will-not-make-it-cleaner-denr-reminded |
Piles of white sand are being dumped along the shore of Manila Bay, Department of Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary Benny Antiporda said, in a bid to transform the bay—known for its stunning sunset views and garbage-strewn, murky waters—into something similar to popular tourist destination Boracay.
"Here in Manila, we know that there are many who are poor. We will bring the white sand closer to them so it is like they are in Boracay even if they are just on Roxas Boulevard. That is what we aim to achieve here," Antiporda said in Filipino in an interview on radio DZBB.
But the move to fill the 500-meter stretch with white sand—actually crushed dolomite boulders, according to Antiporda—did not sit well with environmental groups, who said the dumping could cause more harm to Manila Bay.
Fishers group PAMALAKAYA called the project “completely absurd and highfaluting.”
“[This is] artificial rehabilitation focusing on aesthetic appearance rather than addressing the environmental degradation problems [of Manila Bay],” Fernando Hicap, PAMALAKAYA national chairperson, said in a statement.
“Filling of white sand would less likely contribute to the rehabilitation and restoration of degrading Manila Bay,” he added.
I wrote two articles about Dolomite beach back in 2020. One in September and the other in October.
The problems with this fake beach and beautification program are too many to list in this article. Succinctly put it was a massive waste of money meant to make Manila Bay LOOK good while not actually cleaning it up. This non NEDA-approved project has also contributed to flooding in the city. It is not only a waste of money but it is an example of gaslighting as politicians claimed the beach would attract tourists and generally be a good thing even while environmental experts warned of the dangers it posed. The fact is it's a shining of example of why Filipino politicians are not to be trusted with public funds. It's another reason to cry out, No More Hell Run By Filipinos!
No comments:
Post a Comment