A Facebook post claimed that Manila Bay was left unclean after the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte. This is misleading. The image used showing Manila Bay “before” Duterte’s presidency was actually taken during his administration.
A photo collage was uploaded by the FB page Vox Populi PH on July 18 comparing the cleanliness of Manila Bay before, during and after the Duterte administration, highlighting the manmade dolomite beach that was first opened in 2020. A part of the post caption read:
“Why is dolomite used in Manila Bay? It will also protect coastal properties from erosion and storm surges and beach nourishment are preferred projects over hard beach stabilizing structures (such as seawalls and groynes). The Department of Health released a statement that the use of dolomite is not a known health hazard.”
The image supposedly depicting Manila Bay before Duterte was actually taken during his administration. It came from a YouTube video taken by ABS-CBN reporter Jekki Pascual in 2018. Duterte was president from June 30, 2016 to June 30, 2022.
Contrary to what the caption suggests, experts and studies have pointed out the environmental harm posed by the Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach.
Pascual uploaded the clip on his YouTube channel on Dec. 19, 2018. The video compared the progress of a Manila Bay cleanup drive dated Nov. 21, 2018 to a littered shore “around three months prior,” according to the video description. The snapshot used in the collage can be found in the first three seconds of the video, bearing the text “ITO ANG BAYWALK SA MANILA BAY (THIS IS THE BAYWALK AT MANILA BAY).”
The other images featured in the collage are from WikiMedia and Facebook.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources assured the public in 2020 that there were no health hazards associated with dolomite and that the artificial addition of sand along the shore would help prevent erosion, not cause it.
The move was opposed at the time by the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute, warning that the dolomite beach would only worsen erosion, harm surrounding marine life and contribute to pollution in the area.
Studies have since been published showing a high concentration of microplastic pollution and high acidity levels in the waters surrounding the manmade beach. However, researchers are unable to draw comparisons to before the beach was constructed in the absence of an environmental impact statement by the DENR.
The post circulated after the Metro Manila Development Authority on July 15 cited the dolomite beach as a factor for worsened flooding in the city of Manila amid the onslaught of severe Tropical Storm Crising. MMDA Chair Romando Artes said the manmade beach ended up blocking three outfalls where water could escape to Manila Bay. The House of Representatives has since called for an investigation into the matter.
The post has so far garnered over 6,500 reactions, 2,100 comments and 1,500 shares.
