IN LINE with the public’s right to know, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) must publicly disclose studies and proceedings of consultative meetings, if any, that will shed light on the decision of the government to spend taxpayers’ money for the beach nourishment project on Manila Bay.
As the public have the right to know, DENR and DPWH should post on their websites all pertinent documents that will provide environmental, health, legal and financial justification for pursuing this beautification project.
We want to know if the implementing agencies have considered potential harm to the marine and coastal ecosystems and to human health, and how much of taxpayers’ money will be required for the continuing monitoring, maintenance and replenishment of the “white sand” beach, which could be used for truly rehabilitating Manila Bay and for supporting the poor who depend on it for their livelihood.
Government officials should not simply dismiss criticisms and questions coming from concerned sectors for this publicly funded project in an environmentally critical area.
Considering the multifaceted issues so far raised against the “white sand” beach project, environment watchdog EcoWaste Coalition urged the government to apply the precautionary principle and desist from dumping and filling the area with dolomite materials. The group cited the following excerpt from the World Charter of Nature in line with the precautionary principle: “Activities which are likely to pose a significant risk to nature shall be preceded by an exhaustive examination; their proponents shall demonstrate that expected benefits outweigh potential damage to nature, and where potential adverse effects are not fully understood, the activities should not proceed.”
Instead of cosmetic beautification, the government should stop all activities in Manila Bay that wreak havoc on the fragile marine ecosystems, including the mangroves, seagrass beds and wetlands.
It should also see to it that all pollution prevention and aquatic conservation laws such as Republic Act 9003, Republic Act 9275 and Republic Act 8550 as amended by Republic Act 10654 are effectively enforced to put an end to the spillage and dumping in water bodies of plastic and other marine litter, sewage sludge and other pollutants.
RA 9003, or the Ecological Solid Waste Management Act, seeks to “ensure the proper segregation, collection, transport, storage, treatment and disposal of solid waste through the formulation and adoption of the best environmental practice in ecological waste management excluding incineration.”
RA 9275 or the Clean Water Act, seeks to protect water bodies from pollution from land-based sources, including those from industries and commercial establishments, agricultural estates and community and household activities.
On the other hand, RA 8550, or the Philippine Fisheries Code, seeks to attain “the conservation, protection and sustained management of the country’s fishery and aquatic resources, and poverty alleviation and the provision of supplementary livelihood among municipal fisherfolk,” among other things.
Furthermore, RA 8550 as amended by RA 10654, directs the state “to adopt the precautionary principle and manage fishery and aquatic resources, in a manner consistent with the concept of an ecosystem-based approach to fisheries management and integrated coastal area management.”
