DENR rules out closing dolomite beach to public amid pandemic despite crowds

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) won't close the Manila Bay Dolomite Beach even if it was crowded amid the COVID-19 pandemic over the weekend.

DENR Undersecretary Benny Antiporda made the position even if throngs of people flocked to the artificial white sand area, raising concerns that this could be a super spreader event.

"Hindi po natin maaaring gawin 'yun [na isara]. Kung tayo ang gumastos ng ganu'ng napakalaki para lang po isara 'yan, I don't think it will be fair to the Filipino people," Antiporda said in an interview on Super Radyo dzBB.

(We cannot close it down. If we spent so much just to close it, I don't think it will be fair to the Filipino people.)

The Manila Bay Dolomite Beach project, dubbed as beach nourishment, costs P389 million.

Antiporda said since the mass gathering in the area over the weekend, authorities have modified the guidelines to only allow a batch of people to stay in the area for five minutes, after which they will have to leave so the succeeding batch will get to enter.

Likewise, Antiporda said that the DENR and the Manila City government has deployed additional marshalls to ensure that visitors are complying with minimum public health standards such as social distancing and proper wearing of face mask and face shield.

"The dolomite beach was opened to relieve the anxiety of the people amid the pandemic, but we will not permit a super spreader. We are recalibrating our system to ensure the safety of our people," he said.

"We are doing our best to satisfy everybody," Antiporda added.

On Sunday the Manila Bay Coordinating Office said it will close the dolomite beach every Friday for maintenance, and will limit the entry of people to avoid increasing the risk of coronavirus infection. 

Families continued to flock to the area over the weekend amid looser COVID-19 restrictions in Metro Manila under Alert Level 3. 

DOH sees violation

Meanwhile,  the Department of Health (DOH) said there was definitely a violation in connection with the crowd that gathered at the dolomite beach over the weekend.

"Sinabi kapag Alert Level 3, ang outdoors natin 50% capacity. 'Yung nakita po natin noong weekend, hindi po 'yung 50% capacity," Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said in an online briefing.

(Under Alert Level 3, outdoor tourist spots should only accommodate 50% of original capacity. What we saw over the weekend was not 50%.)

“Sinabi natin na kapag nakikita natin na crowded na, may gathering na, hindi na dapat natin pinupuntahan at ang ating mga ahensya may responsibilidad kayo to prevent these mass gatherings,”  she added.

(We said that if it is already crowded, if there is already a large gathering, we should not allow more visitors. The concerned agencies have a responsibility to prevent mass gatherings.)

Vergeire said that should this keep happening, the Philippines may revert to its previous stringent measures.

"I call on our national agencies, whatever was discussed in IATF (nter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases), whatever safety protocol that we are now implementing… kailangan ipatupad po natin 'yun [We need to implement that],” she said.

"Kung nakikita po natin na hindi kaya, katulad po ng sinasabi ng ibang officials na masyadong madami… let's regulate that. Hindi po natin kaya? Baguhin po siguro natin ang proseso [If we can see that it's already difficult to implement, like what some officials are saying, then let’s regulate]," Vergeire added. —KG/KBK, GMA News