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    Group 1 Eco

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    Paul Fajardo Canoy
    The group discusses the Manila Bay beautification project which involves filling the baywalk with dolomite sand at a cost of ₱389 million. Members express opposition to the project, arguing that the money would be better spent on pandemic relief or improving the natural ecosystem. They believe the government has wrong priorities and demand more transparency about the environmental assessment and planning. The consensus is that the project is ineffective and the budget should instead address more urgent issues like poverty and hunger during the health crisis.

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    Group 1 Eco

    Uploaded by

    Paul Fajardo Canoy
    52 views4 pages
    The group discusses the Manila Bay beautification project which involves filling the baywalk with dolomite sand at a cost of ₱389 million. Members express opposition to the project, arguing that the money would be better spent on pandemic relief or improving the natural ecosystem. They believe the government has wrong priorities and demand more transparency about the environmental assessment and planning. The consensus is that the project is ineffective and the budget should instead address more urgent issues like poverty and hunger during the health crisis.

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    GROUP-1-ECO

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    The group discusses the Manila Bay beautification project which involves filling the baywalk with dolomite sand at a cost of ₱389 million. Members express opposition to the project, arguing that the money would be better spent on pandemic relief or improving the natural ecosystem. They believe the government has wrong priorities and demand more transparency about the environmental assessment and planning. The consensus is that the project is ineffective and the budget should instead address more urgent issues like poverty and hunger during the health crisis.

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    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    52 views4 pages

    Group 1 Eco

    Uploaded by

    Paul Fajardo Canoy
    The group discusses the Manila Bay beautification project which involves filling the baywalk with dolomite sand at a cost of ₱389 million. Members express opposition to the project, arguing that the money would be better spent on pandemic relief or improving the natural ecosystem. They believe the government has wrong priorities and demand more transparency about the environmental assessment and planning. The consensus is that the project is ineffective and the budget should instead address more urgent issues like poverty and hunger during the health crisis.

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    GROUP 1

    CANOY, John Paul F.


    CARREON, Jerut
    CHAVEZ, Jashima C.
    IRINCO, Joseph Daniel A.
    MAS, Bernardyne Mae D.
    MELU, Cathyrene M.

    The Nature of the Project

    The government’s Manila bay beautification project is one of the most controversial
    projects this year. A variety of issues from different organizations especially environmental
    protection advocates and civilians was raised. The budget, timing, and most of all the materials
    and resources used for this project.

    The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) plans to fill the 500-meter
    stretch of the baywalk with white sand also known as dolomite- a calcium magnesium
    carbonate which is non-metallic material used for manufacturing bricks, mortar, cement,
    concrete, plastics, paving materials, and other construction materials. Dolomite sand has low
    solubility which makes it resistant to acid content of rain and soil. According to Manila Bulletin,
    Pamalakaya, a federation of small fisherfolk organization, described the plan as “artificial
    rehabilitation focusing on aesthetic appearance rather than addressing the environmental
    degradation problems” of Manila Bay. Fernando Hicap, Pamalakaya’s chairperson stated that
    DENR doesn’t have any concrete plan to restore the bay that it resorts to external
    beautification which is a sham and artificial, instead of genuinely rehabilitating the area. Hicap
    also added a possible option which he thinks is better than external beautification and that is to
    invest on planting mangrove forests and sea grasses which will restore and balance marine
    ecosystem. Oceana, a marine conservation advocacy group said that the project ‘’may not just
    be destroying the natural ecosystem in Manila Bay but also of the source of this white sand.”

    The dolomite sand was exported from Cebu however, Cebu provincial board members
    released a statement that they were not aware of the extraction of dolomite rocks to overlay
    the ‘’white sand’’ in Manila Bay. Even up to this day, these environmental protection advocates
    is demanding for a public release of the concrete plan and the process taken by the DENR to
    how and why they came up with this approved project.

    The eye-dropping ₱389 million fund allocated for the government initiative to overlay
    white sand on the shores of Manila Bay was questioned and criticized by many. According to
    Vice President Leni Robredo, instead of prioritizing the beautification project the money could
    have gone to over 80,000 poor families who were left hungry due to pandemic. While according
    to Roque, the project was already approved in 2019 and the Malacañang have not foreseen this
    pandemic and it will be a lost if they did not push through the project. They also added that this
    project would not have been approved if the DENR did not conduct an environmental
    assessment and emphasized that this project is intended to prevent further soil erosion and
    help alleviate flooding problem which is totally the opposite of what the environmental group
    such as Pamalakaya believe.

    OPINIONS:

    CANOY:

    Based on my opinion, I am against the said beautification of Manila Bay’s shore using
    dolomite sand. Our report will be based on the planning and budget allocation of this project.
    Regarding the planning stage, I don’t know why the government is focusing on this matter while
    we are in the state of pandemic. There are lots of project that needs to be focused on first
    before this beautification on Manila Bay. I don’t think that it will help us solve or lessen the
    problem that we are experiencing right now. They must think of the priority first which is us,
    the citizens of our country. Next is the budget allocation, it is very important to use the budgets
    that we have right now to conquer this pandemic. P389 Million is not a joke to waste, it can be
    used to many factors which will benefit all of us especially to our health workers, frontliners
    and those who are really in need. This budget also can feed families amid this pandemic. This
    beautification project can be done after this situation, why waste money for this if this money
    can go and save our country first. Like Vice President Robredo had said, “It’s really insensitive
    for you to do it at the height of the pandemic when so many people are starving. A lot of people
    are struggling, but what you’re doing is to beautify, the project for the white sand project could
    have gone to the poorest households affected by the global health crisis”. Also, the project’s
    budget could have been used to provide students with internet connection and laptops for the
    pushed online classes. So, in my conclusion, this project is ineffective and should not be
    continued to not waste money for the sake of our country.

    CARREON:

    Based on my opinion, the Manila Bay Project was out of the line. You can't feed a
    hungry human by just having a beautiful view. After a long lockdown, I think we know enough
    that the Philippines are in the hands of an incompetent, retarded and buang leader. On august
    3 he declared that "Wala na tayong pera" on national television, yet all of the donations of
    many countries and loan at the world bank, he put it all to beautify the Manila Bay. Imagine
    that we are a sick boy who is having a pneumonia, your family has a debt, total of 1 million
    pesos, yet your dad plans a renovation and build a pool in your backyard. Can you see the
    irony? We should correct where we put our loyalty.
    CHAVEZ:

    I believe that this project is ineffective and would actually cost more trouble to all of us.
    The purpose is good, we should beautify the Manila Bay but no this way and especially not this
    time. I think that we should demand more from our government, we should all deserve the
    statements, studies, and processes they did during the planning of the said project so our
    scientists and environmentalist could also give their side, I think that they must have a stand
    and say in this projects as they are professionals who knows what’s best for the area and for all
    of us.

    IRINCO:

    For me the white sand project of the government was a total waste. I can agree to the
    news articles that the budget that was allocated for that project can give more opportunities to
    other projects. Like giving food for the needy or creating ways to face the pandemic especially
    in investing on health-related projects. Clearly the government had wrong priorities during this
    pandemic instead of helping the people in our country, they wasted their time, budget, & effort
    in building this project.

    MAS:

    In conclusion, we, the members of group 1, stands with environmental protection


    advocates argument. We do not agree with the external beautification of Manila bay, instead
    the government should focus on the bay’s internal problems as we believe that the beauty of
    Manila bay comes from within, meaning correct balancing and preserving it’s natural
    ecosystem, resolving waste disposal issues, as well as genuinely rehabilitating the area. We, as
    citizens have the right to demand and be aware of the studies and environmental assessment
    that were done before, during, and after the construction of the project. We need more
    accurate and strong reasoning as to why this project was approved because we are also
    affected by this issue. We also demand more concrete solutions for the problems faced by this
    beautiful area which is a special place to many Filipinos. This act is insensitive because we are
    facing a pandemic right now and many people are suffering from poverty and hunger. The
    budget used for this project could have been given to the people who needs it the most.
    “Ayuda at pagkain, hindi buhangin”- Pamalakaya.
    Resources:
    https://mb.com.ph/2020/09/03/denr-hit-for-planning-to-fill-manila-baywalk-with-white-sand/

    https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1331297/fwd-mere-aesthetics-senator-says-funds-for-white-
    sand-project-in-manila-bay-could-have-aided-pandemic-hit-sectors

    https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2020/09/07/2040714/palace-p389-m-manila-bay-white-
    sand-project-approved-prior-pandemic

    https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1330929/environment-groups-slam-denrs-plan-to-fill-manila-
    bay-shore-with-white-sand

    https://www.msn.com/en-ph/news/national/denr-welcomes-cease-and-desist-order-vs-2-
    firms-in-manila-bay-beautification/ar-BB18Q8Sv

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