MANILA - The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said on Sunday it would meet with the organizer of the indoor-balloon-drop event on New Year's Eve that has drawn flak online.

In a text message to ABS-CBN News, Environment Undersecretary for Policy Jonas Leones said the meeting was set on Sunday morning, a day before the activity.

Cove Manila's indoor-balloon-drop event aims to break a world record to welcome 2019. But netizens hit the event for supposedly being environmentally damaging.

Social media users also pointed out that the Guinness Book of World Records no longer recognizes the release of party balloons and sky lanterns, among others, due to their impact on the environment.

• Cove Manila's 130,000-balloon drop New Year event draws flak

The group Ecowaste Coalition also expressed "utmost concern" over the waste the used balloons would generate.

"We fear that Okada Manila will not only smash the current Guinness World Record for the largest indoor balloon drop, but also establish a new world record for the most number of used balloons sent to the dump from a single event," it said.

Addressing this concern, Cove Manila said in a statement that the balloon drop will be held inside its dome and that the balloons they will use are biodegradable.

Cove Manila said the event was "an earnest effort not only to make a new world record for the country, but also to demonstrate that we can have a lot of fun but still remain responsible."