The dolomite beach in Manila Bay after a downpour on Sunday night. Jekki Pascual, ABS-CBN News
MANILA - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) denied Wednesday that recent rains had washed out the crushed dolomite dumped along Manila Bay, which some critics previously criticized as waste of public funds.
Waves washed in darker sand, creating a 2 to 3-inch layer on top of the artificial white sand beach, said DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda.
"Puro kasinungalingan po iyong lumabas na nag-washout po yung white sand natin. Ang nangyari po talaga wash in, pumasok po iyong itim na buhangin at pumatong po sa puting dolomite," he said during a Laging Handa public briefing.
(The reports that our white sand was washed out were all lies. What really happened was a wash in, the dark sand entered and lay on top of the white dolomite.)
Authorities will clean up the darker sand, he said.
"Kaya ho hindi pa talaga mini-maintain ngayon dahil this is still under the jurisdiction of the contractor," Antiporda said.
(We are not yet maintaining this because this is still under the jurisdiction of the contractor.)
He also rejected the suggestion of marine biologists from the University of the Philippines to plant mangroves in the area, instead of dumping artificial white sand there, because it would "destroy the landscape."
"Hindi ho magandang tingnan and at the same time, hindi ho mabubuhay sa lugar na ito iyong mangrove," he said.
(It will not be pleasant to look at and at the same time, it will not thrive here.)