Cebu Gov’t Threatens To Sue All Those Involve In Mining Of Dolomite for Manila Bay Project
CEBU – An official said Cebu province is considering filing charges against 2 mining companies involved in the production of dolomite for the Manila Bay ‘white sand’ project.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said they used crushed dolomite to fill up Manila Bay’s 500 meters bay walk. They said it is part of their Manila Bay Rehabilitation program.
DENR said they consulted agencies and experts before they implemented the beautification project. DENR’s Undersecretary Benny Antiporda said putting artificial white sand on the shore will discourage people from littering in the area. It has a budget of P389 million.
Manila Bay’s ‘white sand’ beach temporarily opened for public viewing on Saturday, September 19. The agency also led the event to celebrate the International Coastal Clean-up Day.
Hundreds of people crowd the newly rehabilitated portion of the bay. The photos and videos of visitors receive ire from the netizens because they are not practicing social distancing. On Tuesday, a netizen shared several photos of the white sand washed out to the sea.
READ ALSO: Youtuber Slams Environmentalist Criticizing the White Sand in Manila Bay
Based on a report from ABS-CBN News, the Cebu government threatened to sue all those involved in mining dolomites. On Tuesday, September 22, Cebu provincial board member Jiembo Borgonia said the Philippine Mining Service Corporation (PMSC) at Dolomite Mining Corporation (DMC) did not comply with local tax ordinances and requirements.
“We are on the look on it [kaso] po… kasi itong [PMSC] ay hindi nagbabayad ng local taxes dito sa province of Cebu,” said Borgonia.
According to the report, Borgonia also said the mining of dolomite in Alcoy also damages the nearby bodies of water. “’Yung conveyor ng DMC o PMSC… ‘yung kanilang planta patungo doon sa barge, may open na area kaya through the doon, doon naaanod ang dolomite,” he said.
“May mga marine biologists na magda-dive this afternoon… to take a look kung may epekto ito sa mga isda… ‘Yung mga corals, [wala] na sa kanyang natural color kasi… pumuputi na at tska ‘yung mga fish cage.” he added.
Based on the report, the official said they will soon take pictures of the area as marine biologists are set to examine the supposed damage. Watch his interview below:
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READ ALSO: Manila Bay White Sand: The Project Only Cost P28M Contrary to Reports
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