DENR: Dolomite beach fit for swimming by 2022

MANILA, Philippines — While the Manila Bay dolomite beach has been temporarily closed to the public, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will focus on improving the bay’s water quality to make it fit for swimming by 2022, officials said yesterday.

“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.

The DENR-led Manila Bay Task Force (MBTF) will work out a plan for the drainage system of Manila Baywalk’s Padre Faura, Remedios and Abad outfalls, he said.

Leones added that wastewater originating from houses and industries will be diverted to the sewage treatment plant, while floodwaters will be coursed through a high-density polyethylene pipe that is 400 meters long from the seawall.

“We will also work on the outfall near the dolomite beach rock garden where there’s a high fecal coliform level, according to our Environmental Management Bureau-National Capital Region (EMB-NCR),” Leones said.

“All of these activities are targeted to be completed this year or in the first quarter of 2022 considering possible changes on the alert level status of the NCR,” he added.

DENR-NCR regional executive director Jacqueline Caancan said that as of Oct. 25, the dolomite beach area has a coliform level of 22,000 most probable number per 100 milliliters (MPN/100 mL).

Caancan pointed out that improving the water quality and keeping fecal coliform levels low have been “challenging” tasks.

Leones said water quality in the dolomite area needs to be addressed immediately to achieve the standard level of 100 MPN/100 ml to make it “swimmable.”

He cited significant improvements in the coliform level, which now only ranges from hundreds to thousands as compared to millions or billions prior to the rehabilitation of Manila Bay.

Leones said the MBTF will start the second phase of the project soon and aims to finish it within the year.

It includes installing geo-engineering structures such as geotubes to cover 360 meters of beach area and the overlay of dolomite sand and pebbles to complete the 500-meter area of the beach.

The MBTF will come up with guidelines for visitors who will take pictures outside the beach area to prevent possible overcrowding.

Leones said the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority is conducting minor repairs on the footbridge leading to the beach area to maintain its structural integrity and ensure the safety of the public.

Other plans include the construction of a beach and fishing area near the Manila Yacht Club to serve as a swimming area and playground for children.

The construction of two solar-powered restrooms, a mandamus office, souvenir hub and lighting and landscaping works along the Manila Baywalk are also targeted to be completed this year.

“We’ll do our best to finish these before the holiday season,” said DENR Undersecretary for Solid Waste Management and Local Government Units’ Concerns Benny Antiporda.

“Let’s see how our situation will progress since we are in a fragile situation due to the pandemic. But with the decreasing numbers of COVID-19 cases in the country, we are optimistic that we can reopen within the year,” he said.