The Dolomite Beach Club

The Dolomite Beach Club near Roxas Boulevard, “officially” known as the DENR white sand beautification project, has reaped a whirlwind of protests from all sides including media. But stepping back from all the emotions and politics, I see a great case study on the right way and the wrong way of doing high-profile, high-challenge projects such as the white sand project of the DENR. First of all, was the idea a good idea per se? Imagine a reclaimed area featuring white sand, walkways, beach volleyball courts, food carts that tourists and families could go to see the epic Manila Bay sunset? Very unusual to say the least, given Manila Bay is not known for white sand beaches and the fact that the DENR’s mandate was to clean up Manila Bay, not build a “beach club.” But in a country and a metropolis where public parks are going “extinct,” such an idea would not necessarily be unwelcomed. It would not be too far from a similar idea that then mayor Lito Atienza introduced called “The Baywalk.”

So why did The Baywalk thrive while the Dolomite Beach project is being bludgeoned? The Baywalk slowly evolved bench-by-bench, food cart by food cart and only when the clamor for more rose to the surface did Lito Atienza go full blast. It grew on the curiosity and support of customers and tourists. It was one of those hit places that was built on word of mouth and media mileage.

The Dolomite Beach project, on the other hand, was shocking in concept. Shocking that nothing was previously said about it, and shocking because it was being done when the country and the world was at war against a deadly virus. Most shocking of all was that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources was spearheading a project that at face value seems to violate major rules regarding environmental protection.

The biggest mistake was making it a “government project.” I suspect that if the Dolomite Beach idea had been presented by a private company, or a group of resort developers, the heat would not be as intense as it is right now. The public attitude towards private corporations investing on new or wild ideas has generally been neutral if not full of curiosity. Filipinos have patronized man-made ice skating venues, public aquariums, “private” zoos and marine parks, now they are lining up at the latest drive-in movie. To be honest, the Dolomite Beach project would have been a non-issue if a private company did it.

Following the Baywalk experience, it helps to subdivide the pie or distribute parts of the project among other stakeholders, developers, etc. If the plan was a really good plan, then “partners would defend it in any arena and not end up being defended by the Lone Ranger.” So, they had no strategy, they had bad timing and they failed to test the waters or float the idea so to speak. Aside from patience being a virtue, there is wisdom in the counsel of many. In this case, if the bright boys talked to environmentalists and shared the vision and made them part owners, the resistance would have been less.

Last but not the least, create the need, the want, the demand before you make a “new” product with low public acceptance.

*      *      *

Members of Congress are in a hurry to auction off the TV and radio frequencies that ABS-CBN lost after their congressional massacre for a franchise renewal. It will be worth watching and monitoring who will line-up or bid for those frequencies, particularly for radio, given that the next campaign and elections are in the horizon. Any local politician will tell you that acquiring one of those frequencies is like winning the political lottery because having a radio station in your district gives you so much reach and influence over voters and residents. Owning the local radio station also reduces your campaign and publicity costs.

In addition to that, radio frequencies, channels and stations have more market value, appreciate in value and are cash convertible and worth more than blue chip stocks of major corporations. Some people who sold off their frequencies/stations made such profits they retired early! Politicians don’t even have to buy any of the frequencies, they simply have to make themselves available and present when an interested party applies for a congressional franchise. Time and again former congressmen have told me that deals are made, either in cash or in kind, so that franchises and frequencies can be had.

Incidentally, it seems that the revenge that politicians sought to inflict on ABS-CBN has ended up as a hollow victory over their principal targets and a grave injustice for several thousand innocent employees. A number of well known talents of ABS-CBN have seamlessly transferred to other stations, particularly radio, and from what I’ve been hearing many other programs and talents will be reappearing on other channels both TV and cable as “block timers” as well as on the internet. It is reported that the Lopez family had long divested their shares in ABS-CBN so they were laughing all the way to the bank while politicians were busy making their case against the network. Several of the top anchors already saw the sword of Duterte being drawn a long time ago and had prepared for a low profile but financially secure and comfortable life.

That unfortunately is not the case for several thousand employees, who have unjustly lost their jobs, their livelihoods and their careers. Their only sin was to be an employee of ABS-CBN and they are paying the highest price from the worst injustice inflicted upon innocent employees.

*      *      *

E-mail: [email protected]