If you think that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources is being ambitious about its ongoing Manila Bay rehabilitation program, well, think again.
While the current task of the DENR is to bring back Manila Bay to its former glory, its embattled Undersecretary Benny Antiporda said he won’t be surprised if the project gets worldwide attention should they end up successful.
“We’re trying to clean up Manila Bay. Who knows, time will come, we might end up cleaning the whole world because people will ask us how did you do it in your country. 'Yan po ang ipinagmamalaki namin sa DENR (That’s what we’re proud of here at DENR),” said Antiporda.
While Antiporda admits the Manila Bay is still way above the standard coliform level of 100 Most Probable Number (MPN), he proudly disclosed the DENR’s achievement of lowering the coliform level which reached a high of 1.3 billion MPN.
“As of now lumalaro pa ho tayo sa 35,000 to 45,000 MPN (As of now we are between 35,000 to 45,000 MPN). But we started from as high as 1.3 billion MPN. Bumaba tayo into millions, then hundreds of thousands then ngayon thousands na lang. Looking forward na maibaba na natin ito to 200 (We went down into millions, then hundreds of thousands then now, only in thousands. Looking forward to bringing it down further to 200),” Antiporda said.
Initially, environmental groups and even the Department of Health raised concerns about the project of the DENR to fill a portion of the Baywalk with supposed “white sand” which the DENR said is not actually sand but dolomite boulders. The DoH, however, on Wednesday clarified their statement.
“Dolomite in its bulk state is not a known health hazard and dolomite in dust form, like any other dust particles, can lead to symptoms such as chest discomfort, shortness of breath, and coughing for this is our body’s normal reaction to irritants,” the DoH said in a statement.
Antiporda assures the type of dolomite they are using is not in dust form.
“What is there in Manila Bay is ano eh, finished product na wala nang alikabok (finished product without dust). This is a 5 mm dolomite stone, it is 100 times bigger than dolomite dust kaya imposible ho natin na masinghot 'yan (that’s why it is impossible to sniff it),” clarified Antiporda.
Fisherfolk group Pamalakaya described the plan as “artificial rehabilitation focusing on aesthetic appearance rather than addressing the environmental degradation problems” of Manila Bay.
But Antiporda said the ongoing project is a result of a thorough evaluation conducted by concerned agencies within the Environment Department.
“Babalik tayo sa gabundok na basura diyan sa Manila Bay kung ganiyan po ang kaisipan na nagsasabing hindi po natin kaya. (We will end up going back to a waste-filled Manila Bay if we have that type of thinking that we cannot manage it). Ang Boracay po nung inumpisahan naming (when we started rehabilitating Boracay), people thought that the President (Duterte) and even our Secretary Roy Cimatu is crazy. But we did it,” explained Antiporda.
Antiporda, meantime, is confident they won’t put to shame presidential spokesperson Harry Roque’s offer to be the first to swim once the rehabilitation program of Manila Bay is completed.
“Malamang po mag-unahan pa sila ni Secretary Cimatu na lulusong po sa dagat na iyan para patunayan na malinis na po siya (Chances are him (Roque) and Secretary Cimatu would race against each other towards those waters and prove how clean it is),” said Antiporda.
Antiporda also disclosed they are on track to complete the current Manila Bay "sanding" project in time for the commemoration of the International Coastal Cleanup Day on Sept. 19.