What Lies Beneath the White Sand

“The millions of pesos-worth of fake white sand that were easily washed away by the waves along the Manila Bay shore could have been spent to save the lives of thousands of Filipinos affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Sandbags along the portion of Manila bay that was filled with dolomite white sand. Photo from Val Cuenca/ABS-CBN News

Despite the environmental, legal, and health concerns, not to mention the pandemic, the P389 million newly enhanced Manila bay opened to the public last September 19, 2020, where crowds of curious citizens were seen flocking to the newly constructed beach, failing to observe physical distancing despite the increasing number of COVID-19 cases in the Metro.

Sandbags were seen surrounding the shoreline on September 23 where the artificial sand was dumped along the 500-meter stretch of the Manila bay. This was done to avoid further erosion of the dolomite layer due to heavy rains and high tides, which the University of the Philippines Resilience Institute Executive Director Mahar Lagmay already initially warned of.

Even before the Manila Baywalk was opened to the public, concerns involving the construction were already raised. In a statement by Vice President Leni Robredo, she expressed her disagreement on the project, stating that the project is “insensitive” because the budget for the beautification project could have been used for improving the government’s COVID response.

Although Local Government spokesman Jonathan Malaya pointed out that the budget for the white sand project was allocated in 2019, before the pandemic started, the Bayanihan To Heal as One Act (RA 11469) allows the President to realign budget allocations for 2020 to address the pandemic. This means that the P389 million that was spent on the beach nourishment project could have been reallocated for improved COVID-19 response. Quarantine facilities could have been expanded. PPEs for medical frontliners could have been bought. Families who were left hungry due to the pandemic could have been subsidized. Instead, the money that could have gone a long way was spent on dumping piles of dolomite white sand for a “beautification” project that is not even as urgent of a matter as the crisis brought about by the pandemic.

There are also several concerns regarding the material used for the white sand, which is crushed dolomite rock mined from Alcoy, Cebu. Dolomite is a non-metallic material commonly used in manufacturing bricks, cement, concrete, and other construction materials.

Also known as calcium magnesium carbonate CaMg(CO3)2, dolomite is made up of 40% magnesium carbonate (CMgO3) and 60% calcium carbonate (CMgO3). Although predominantly composed of the two compounds, dolomite rocks may contain impurities such as mercury, arsenic, zinc, and cadmium.

DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda claimed in a statement that the dolomite will not disrupt the coastal ecosystem because it contains calcium carbonate, which corals are made up of. Although dolomite indeed contains calcium carbonate, the overall chemical composition of dolomite differs from that of pure calcium carbonate due to the addition of magnesium carbonate. The difference in chemical composition accounts for differences in solubility, as well as reaction rates with different substances that can drastically affect the water and its environment.

Having a Mohs hardness scale of 3.5, crushed dolomite tends to be easily dissolved by water, thereby infiltrating into the surface and groundwater. Due to frequent heavy rains in Manila Bay, it is prone to erosion, and consequently, sedimentation, which may affect aquatic lives in the area. This is because dolomite is a limestone that is known for its ability to both harden the water and increase the pH of the water body.

Stating that the dolomite will not disrupt the ecosystem in any way is an erroneous statement. Extensive studies regarding its effect on the ecosystem should be conducted before making such assertions. The results of the study should also be made public if they wish to appease the concerns of the citizens.

Aside from the ecosystem of Manila Bay, the area in Cebu where the dolomite is being mined is also at high risk. The quarries have long threatened the biodiversity of the area. The forest where the dolomite is sourced is one of the last remaining forest areas in Cebu that hosts endemic species, according to Rose-Liza Eisma Osorio, chair of the IUCN Academy of Environmental Law. The dolomite mining in Alcoy, Cebu has also damaged the coral reefs in the area due to heavy siltation, according to the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) of Cebu.

Typically, these kinds of projects undergo the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) System and get an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) before proceeding. However, William Cuñado, EMB OIC director, said that the project is not covered by the EIS system, thus an ECC is not needed. Instead, a certificate of non-coverage (CNC) was issued to the project signifying that there is no need for an environmental impact assessment.

An environmental impact assessment, as part of the EIS system, is typically required for projects that may significantly affect the quality of the environment such as “proposed major expansion, rehabilitation and/or modification of existing projects as well as the resumption of projects that have stopped operations for a prolonged period” according to Memorandum Circular 2014-005 of the DENR-Environmental Management Bureau.

Furthermore, there was no permit issued by the local government of Cebu to extract and transport dolomite from Cebu to Manila. The 3rd District Board Member John Ismael Borgonia said in a phone interview with Rappler that the Cebu provincial government is still waiting for the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to produce permits for the project. He also added that they have already asked the PENRO to investigate the matter.

As stated before, this beach enhancement may potentially be hazardous to the environment due to the foreign material (dolomite) that is being added to the natural ecosystem. Therefore, the project is still covered by the EIS system and an environmental impact assessment is required. The failure of compliance with the set guidelines is a potential ground for termination of the project that must be further investigated.

Aside from environmental and legal concerns, health concerns involving the said project were also raised. The crushed dolomite rocks of two to five millimeters in diameter, if inhaled, may cause chest discomfort, shortness of breath, and coughing. Studies published in PubMed National Library of Medicine also say that prolonged exposure significantly increases the prevalence of respiratory symptoms.

Additionally, Health Undersecretary Maria Rose Vergeire said that in addition to respiratory problems, the crushed dolomite could cause eye irritation and gastrointestinal discomfort. The impurities in the rocks may also lead to diseases affecting the nervous and immune system, according to Dr. Rommy Quijano, a toxicologist of Oceana Philippines.

This is another potential health hazard to Filipinos on top of the COVID-19 crisis that the Philippines is already struggling to combat right now. The current situation is already difficult for Filipinos as it is. Adding dolomite sand does not help, but further worsens the already tough situation as the healthcare system nears its threshold as the number of cases continuously rise every day.

Instead of focusing on the surface level beautification of Manila Bay, which potentially poses a threat to public health, as the Marine Science Institute of the University of the Philippines suggested, the government should focus on long-term solutions that address the problems from within by investing in wastewater treatment plants, transferring informal settlers, and planting natural ecosystem clean up services such as mangroves.

Although it is undeniable that the rehabilitation of the Manila Bay is essential for the environment, as well as the livelihood of its nearby inhabitants, during this time of crisis, the government should be doing everything in their power to control the spread of COVID-19, which is the current most pressing problem that has already affected thousands of lives in the country.

Besides, the rehabilitation of Manila Bay is a long and arduous task. The problem cannot be solved by dumping piles of crushed dolomite that is worth millions of pesos that could have been spent for long-term improvements rather than surface-level aesthetics. Better yet, the millions of pesos-worth of fake white sand that were easily washed away by the waves along the Manila Bay shore could have been spent to save the lives of thousands of Filipinos affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Just how much white sand is Filipino life worth?