Environment secretary urged to suspend Manila Bay ‘beach nourishment’ project

BY AARON MACARAEG

Bulatlat.com

MANILA– Fisherfolk group Pamalakaya urged on Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Roy Cimatu to suspend “beach nourishment” project in Manila Bay following his suspension order for two mining firms involved in the extraction and processing of dolomite in Alcoy, Cebu.

Pamalakaya called it “absurd” that while the mining projects involved in production of dolomite were suspended, Cimatu has not done anything yet about the dumped “white sand” in Manila Bay.

Cimatu has suspended on September 25 the operations of Dolomite Mining Corp. (DMC) and the Philippine Mining Service Corporation (PMSC).He then directed the Environmental Management Bureau in Central Visayas (EMB-7) to conduct further investigation on the impacts of mining firms’ operations in the area.

In a statement, Pamalakaya National Chairperson Fernando Hicap said, Mr. Cimatu seems to be out of his mind when he had the two mining firms suspended yet the beach nourishment project which these two firms have been supplementing remains in full operation. He even defends and justifies this ridiculous and useless project being part of Manila Bay rehabilitation when in fact, “beach nourishment” was never mentioned on the Supreme Court mandamus.”

The former Anakpawis Partylist representative was citing the 2008 Supreme Court mandamus ordering government agencies, led by DENR to “cleanup, restore, and rehabilitate Manila Bay.”

The group said that due to the damage which has already been inflicted, government should suspend the project altogether and fine the two mining firms.

(Bulatlat.com)

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