UPDATE: the beach has been closed until early 2022; Swimming at Manila bay Dolomite Beach will make it happen before yearends
THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said on Wednesday that it was working double time for the Manila Bay dolomite beach to be reopened to the public and be fit for swimming by December.
“We will focus on cleaning the waters of Manila Bay so that the public, apart from visiting the dolomite beach, can also bathe and swim in the near future,” DENR Undersecretary for Policy, Planning and International Affairs Jonas Leones said. https://bit.ly/3H92tCf
Manila Bay - The man-made dolomite beach along Baywalk will remain closed to the public until early 2022 to give way for the completion of the rehabilitation works in Manila Bay, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) announced yesterday.
In a virtual press conference, DENR Undersecretary for policy, planning, and international affairs Jonas Leones said the beach was closed from Oct. 29 to Nov. 3, but the Manila Bay Task Force (MBTF) and DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu “wanted all the rehabilitation works completed first, so that the public can fully enjoy the beach once it reopens.”
The closure follows an incident on Oct. 24 wherein authorities failed to control the influx of more than 121,000 visitors to the beach. The incident led to the relief of MBTF ground commander Jacob Meimban Jr., who was replaced by retired Army general Reuel Sorilla, officer-in-charge of the DENR’s Environmental Law Enforcement and Protection Service.
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Swimming may be soon allowed in Manila Bay’s dolomite beach as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) continuously rehabilitates the bay to improve its water quality.
An official of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said yesterday that swimming may be allowed in Manila Bay’s dolomite beach by the end of the year.
DENR Undersecretary for policy, planning and international affairs Jonas Leones said visitors may be allowed to take a dip in the man-made beach by December.
“Though people are allowed to visit the beach, swimming is still prohibited since there are still ongoing works to make the bay’s water quality fit for swimming,” Leones said.
“Pinipilit natin na bago matapos ang administrasyon ay magiging swimmable na ang area na iyan (We are working to make the area swimmable before the end of the current administration),” DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda said in a virtual media briefing on Wednesday, Oct. 20.
Antiporda said it won’t take long before beachgoers are allowed to take a dip in the man-made beach as the bay’s water quality has improved and works are still ongoing to make it fit for swimming.
“Nakikita po natin na hindi imposibleng makamit natin ito dahil malaki na ang ibinaba ng fecal coliform level dito (Making the dolomite beach swimmable is not impossible to achieve because the water’s fecal coliform level has dropped significantly),” he added.
The DENR official bared that there are also plans of turning the dolomite beach into a tourist spot to help revitalize businesses in the area that have been affected by the ongoing coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic.
The 140-meter beach area reopened to the public last weekend after quarantine restrictions were eased to Alert Level 3 in Metro Manila.
As visitors continue to flock to the artificial beach, Antiporda assured that minimum public health protocols are being strictly enforced to ensure their safety.
He said marshalls are strategically stationed at the beach to check if visitors are following the protocols such as observing social distancing and wearing face masks and face shields.
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