Manila Bay Dolomite Beach

[Jollygoodfellow]

15 hours ago, Snowy79 said:

Taken yesterday.  Eventually they'll give up or build a 20ft sea wall just to prove a point. 

 

You dont get it and I give up.  Anywhere in the world has runoff from rivers or storm damage. So why give up? OK let's' close Boracay for a couple of years to see if the water  gets cleaner. Worked once did it not? 

[Snowy79]

5 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

You dont get it and I give up.  Anywhere in the world has runoff from rivers or storm damage. So why give up? OK let's' close Boracay for a couple of years to see if the water  gets cleaner. Worked once did it not? 

As someone living on Boracay I see almost every day basura washed ashore but here they have literaly hundreds of people out every day clearing the beach.  At times it's been worse than some of the photos of Manila Bay, the difference being Boracay usually takes in billions of pesos in tourism income so can easily afford it plus Boracay is only hit by a fraction of the polution of Manila. They also sorted the pollution problem first by cementing up every drain pipe leading to the sea and closing every hotel, bar and restaurant. Only those with their own septic tank or sewage treatment were left untouched.  

I have a friend reasonably high up in the DENR and she tells me they only have a limited budget which could be spent better elsewhere as in her opinion they are using a spoon to empty a lake and even if it was immaculate Filipinos don't like sitting out in the sun with no shade as they'll become dark. She would rather see the money spent stopping the polution in the first place and then maybe build a beach. After all you wouldn't respray a car until you get rid of the rust. 

[scott h]

6 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

So why give up?

Why? Because some ideas are good, some bad and some that can be adjusted while being implemented.

6 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

OK let's' close Boracay for a couple of years to see if the water  gets cleaner.

As you know they did, and it worked. The difference being that Boracay is pretty much still in its natural state, once the contributing factor (people) is removed Mother Nature soon began to recover. 

But when we look at the Dolomite beach, we must remember that the entire area is reclamation. It originally had a sea wall for a reason. (search utube for Roxas blvd and Typhoon Ondoy, you will see the waves flooding into the city). We also have constant westerly winds and a natural North-South tidal flow. couple that with the mouth of the Pasig river being 2 kilometers to the north. 

Now add that to the inefficient garbage collection system and the nonchalant way folks throw trash where ever it all ends up in the river. Just this last week during the most recent storm, traffic was in gridlock due to flooding. Why were the streets flooded? 5 of the 7 pumping stations were down due trash clogging up the systems. 

So due to geographic, tidal and reclamation issues the idea was good, but the location was ill concieved.

1 hour ago, Snowy79 said:

She would rather see the money spent

Sadly this will continue due to two reasons, 1, Pinoy pride, to admit the idea was bad would be a blow to the ego. 2. The polititian who started it is still in office. As soon as the Barangay captain changes and he/she can not put his name to it,,,the money will dry up

[OnMyWay]

9 hours ago, Jollygoodfellow said:

You dont get it and I give up.  Anywhere in the world has runoff from rivers or storm damage. So why give up? OK let's' close Boracay for a couple of years to see if the water  gets cleaner. Worked once did it not? 

What Shady and Scott said, with emphasis on....

--  This was a total vanity project for a few politicians, and a complete failure due to the location.  Almost anywhere in Manila Bay would be a failure.

-- Manila Bay is basically a toilet bowl for 14 million+ people.  During monsoon, like now, all rivers filled with trash flush into the bay.  This year, we are having a bad monsoon.

--  I'm all for cleaning up the bay and rivers, but that is a long term commitment that takes years of planning and execution before you attempt a stunt like the Manila Beach.  Even when the beach is cleaned up and new sand put in, no swimming is allowed.  What is the point of a beach there?  Selfies and tourism photos?

--  I can't see any comparison to Boracay.  Apples and oranges.  Two different sets of issues.  A closer comparison might be Mactan.  I think most of the beaches there are artificial sand.  Funded and maintained by private enterprises who have a financial interest in them.  The locations are doable because the weather patterns, population and pollution are much different.  Unlike Manila Bay, where the prevailing winds keep pollution in the bay while the rivers dump pollution into the bay.

 

Edited July 24, 2021 by OnMyWay

[Old55]

I'm not so sure it's a bad idea. 

Many formal Manila Bay pictures will be taken including that 100 yards of imported sand along with millions of selfies. Sure, that would provide a false narrative but It's More Fun that way. 

[OnMyWay]

1 hour ago, Old55 said:

I'm not so sure it's a bad idea. 

Many formal Manila Bay pictures will be taken including that 100 yards of imported sand along with millions of selfies. Sure, that would provide a false narrative but It's More Fun that way. 

If you are going to fake it and lie about it, use Photoshop.  Much cheaper!

[OnMyWay]

I think this is an area to the South, today.  From the MMDA Facebook.

This is why you don't to pour millions into an artificial beach that has no real purpose.

MMDA CONDUCTS CLEANUP OPERATIONS IN MANILA BAY

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) Chairman Atty. Benhur Abalos personally supervised the agency's cleanup operations at Manila Bay earlier today, as influx of trash was swept into the bay due to heavy rains in the past days brought by southwest monsoon.

At least 70 personnel from MMDA Metro Parkways Clearing Group were deployed to clean Manila Bay.

According to Abalos, two truckloads of garbage were collected in the area yesterday, or about 40 cubic meters.

Among the trash seen from bay's shoreline were plastic bottles, pieces of styrofoam and other debris.

"Plastics are the most common trash found in Manila Bay. Undisputedly, it negatively affects the environment," Abalos pointed out.

Moreover, Abalos appealed to the public to avoid throwing discards anywhere.

"Let us start a move right now. Behavioral change among Filipinos is key to address plastic waste problem in Manila Bay. Stop the habit of indiscriminate dumping not only in Manila Bay, but also on different waterways in the metropolis," Abalos said.

The MMDA chief also expressed gratefulness to the personnel of Department of Environment and Natural Resources and City Government of Manila for their clean-up initiatives in Manila Bay.

Meanwhile, Abalos said he have sought the assistance of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG), asking help from the policemen to arrest individuals who will throw garbage in Manila Bay.

"I've already talked to DILG Secretary Eduardo Año on this matter. Those apprehended would be obliged to clean Manila Bay," Abalos stressed.

 

[scott h]

44 minutes ago, OnMyWay said:

Behavioral change among Filipinos

 

[Snowy79]

A bit of Deja vu going on here. This is following the last downpour, luckily we aren't going into typhoon season. 

[OnMyWay]

6 hours ago, Snowy79 said:

A bit of Deja vu going on here. This is following the last downpour, luckily we aren't going into typhoon season. 

When will they give up?