DENR: Before you blame Manila dolomite beach for flood . . .

LOVE IT, HATE IT Years after its completion, the artificial dolomite beach facing Manila Bay—an urban renewal project of the Duterte administration—continues to draw controversy as it isagain being blamed for recent flooding in the city. —FILE PHOTO

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is seeking a “science-based” approach to solving Metro Manila’s flooding problems, following a claim by the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) that the Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach project has contributed to floods in parts of the capital.

The DENR said in a statement on Thursday that identifying the causes of flooding should be “rooted in science-based analysis, particularly in light of changing weather patterns influenced by climate change.”

The agency cited data from the Philippine Atmospheric, Geophysical and Astronomical Services Administration showing an increase in rainfall over the past decade, which it said has overwhelmed drainage systems in urban areas like Metro Manila.

Blockage of three outfalls

The statement comes after MMDA officials cited the artificial beachfront project along Roxas Boulevard, built during the Duterte administration, as one of the reasons behind flooding in Metro Manila.

According to the MMDA, the dolomite beach ended up blocking three major drainage outfalls—Faura, Remedios, and Estero de San Antonio Abad.

“The drainage system is actually just part of the dolomite beach project… The three outfalls were blocked so that the water could pass through [a] sewerage treatment plant before getting discharged to the dolomite beach project,” MMDA Chair Romando Artes told reporters in Manila on Thursday as the city government opened a floodgate to ease inundation.

The sewerage treatment plant, however, was said to be incapable of handling increased water volume during heavy rainfall, thus worsening flooding in Manila and other areas.

Without directly commenting on the MMDA’s claim, the DENR said it “takes into consideration” the comments made by the latter agency, adding that it “remains committed to working hand-in-hand with local government units and the public to create a future that mitigates flooding risks and enhances overall community resilience.”

The department also called on local government units to adopt better flood risk reduction measures, such as modernized drainage design, stronger waste management, ecosystem restoration, and active community involvement.

Call for House probe

The MMDA’s claim about the dolomite beach’s role in exacerbating Metro Manila’s flooding problems has triggered a call by Bicol Saro party list Rep. Terry Ridon for the House of Representatives to investigate the artificial beach project, especially in light of alleged environmental concerns and requirements that were ignored by the Duterte administration.

Ridon’s House Resolution (HR) No. 56, filed on Wednesday, seeks to know why, despite the dolomite project supposedly not being among the projects approved by the National Economic and Development Authority for the Manila Bay Rehabilitation Master Plan, the project still got the green light.

It wants to find out, among others, whether the project was subjected to a proper environmental impact study, especially with respect to flooding in the City of Manila; whether its implementation aggravated flooding in adjacent areas due to the obstruction of drainage outfalls; whether the P389 million project cost was within standard pricing for comparable beach nourishment works; and whether officials involved in the project may be criminally and administratively liable if negligence or irregularities were detected in the project implementation.

The dolomite beach, said Ridon, “was never envisioned to protect Manila Bay’s coastal resources nor to prevent coastal flooding, erosion, or pollution. It is a cosmetic project masquerading as rehabilitation, and has now proven harmful to flood mitigation efforts in Manila.”

“It is nothing but a criminal wastage of public funds—P389 million that could have been far better spent on sewage treatment plants and other engineering interventions grounded in science and sustainability,” he added.