By continuing to use this website without disabling cookies in your web browser, you are agreeing to our use of cookies. Turner Broadcasting System, Inc. All rights reserved. “Therefore [it] does not get suspended in air. A permit from the provincial government is required. MANILA — Crushed dolomite can cause respiratory issues, the Department of Health warned Monday, days after the environment department began dumping artificial white sand nearby Manila Bay. However, hours after the announcement, the project drew the public ire. “Ang dolomite po is a form of a rock na meron pong mga sinasabi sa mga pag-aaral na kapag na-inhale natin ito mga tao, may mga adverse reactions, respiratory mainly,” Health Undersecretary Maria … DENR ensures safety of dolomite sand used for Manila Bay rehabilitation. SUDDENLY, the word “dolomite” is on everyone’s lips because of the national government’s Manila Bay “beautification” project. The Supreme Court has denied the petition filed by the Akbayan Citizens’ Action Party seeking to intervene in the Manila Bay case, pleading with the tribunal to cite the Department of Environment and Natural Resources in contempt for dumping dolomite sand on Manila Bay. When it became known that the crushed dolomite was from Cebu, Gov. The use of crushed dolomite sand will not help solve the environmental problems in Manila Bay. “Sea level rise in our tropical seas yield the highest rates in the world, about three to four times more than the global average of 3.3 mm/yr,” the UP MSI said. COVID-19 vaccines may be available for commercial use beginning year end, FDA says, PH includes UAE, Hungary in travel ban due to new COVID-19 variant, Pfizer assures affordable vaccines for PH, LGUs advised to only buy COVID-19 vaccines for 50% of population. Alcoy and neighboring Dalaguete, which is also affected by the dolomite quarry activities, do receive some benefits — direct and indirect employment, and recipient of various livelihood programs, among others — from the mine, but are these benefits commensurate to the destruction caused by the operations? The project does not address the underlying causes of the degradation of the Manila Bay, such as the continued dumping of humongous volumes of single-use plastics and industrial and household effluents into the National Capital Region’s water bodies. A recently-published report by the Environment Department also showed that the dolomite sand in Manila Bay is not classified as hazardous, as tests done on its samples did not exceed the limits set in the agency’s Revised Procedures and Standards for the Management of Hazardous Wastes. CNN and the CNN logo are registered marks of Cable News Network, Inc., displayed with permission. The Health Department earlier said that the dolomite dumped along the stretch in Roxas Boulevard cannot cause adverse health effects, since the product is not small enough to be inhaled. The Supreme Court mandamus prescribed the rehabilitation of Manila Bay which meant removal of solid waste, dredging the toxic silt and ensuring that the Bay will henceforth be free of solid and liquid pollution. The dolomite mine or quarry site in Alcoy, Cebu, from where the crushed dolomite came, is the biggest dolomite quarry site in the Philippines, according to Wikipedia. The primary applications of dolomite are “auxiliary materials for iron and steel, plate glass for construction materials, automotive glass, fertilizer and soil conditioner,” according to the JFE website. MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Health (DOH) on Monday warned that the inhalation of crushed dolomite rock – the material used in the artificial white sand dumped along the Manila Bay – can cause respiratory issues. Manila Bay has already been beset by long-standing environmental problems, such as pollution and resource exploitation. The Department of Health (DoH) said dolomite, which was used in the restoration of the Manila Bay shoreline, might cause health problems such as respiratory diseases. Official Statement of the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UPMSI) on the recent rehabilitation... Aside from the environmental impact, the UP MSI said that the finer particles of dolomite can be “problematic”— with prolonged dust inhalation seen to cause chronic health effects to the public. Sinabi ni Health Undersecretary at Spokesperson Maria Rosario Vergeire na base sa pag-aaral at medical literature, ang dolomite kapag nalanghap ng tao ay may masamang epekto sa respiratory system. The official Facebook account of the town announced that he would resume his duties as mayor effective September 10, 19 days after he was confirmed positive and two days after Governor Garcia issued her order. The agency has been getting a lot of flak for using white sand from crushed dolomite rocks. An artificial beach strip in Manila Bay has environmentalists up in arms. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources has acknowledged that the beautification project is not part of the Manila Bay Sustainable Development Master Plan. This once useless material which was given away for free to local government units and private individuals now has great commercial value, Barrit writes in his Facebook post. Alcoy is a fifth-class municipality with a population of 16,979 in the 2015 census, which makes it No. Arturo Barrit, an official of the Associated Labor Unions and someone very familiar with the mine and its effects on the environment, describes the dolomite that is being shipped to Manila as “a byproduct of the high-grade dolomite,” which “is used for beach rehabilitation and landscaping to add aesthetic value” to a property (Facebook post, September 5). Get the latest news from your inbox for free. RELATED: Funding for Manila Bay 'white sand' can't be realigned for COVID-19 response – Roque, The UP MSI stressed that there should be “no shortcuts” in the rehabilitation program for Manila Bay, adding that the aesthetic initiative is — at most— a “beautification effort that is costly and temporary.”, “The clean-up of Manila Bay will be a long and arduous task. MANILA — Several environmental groups issued a position paper on Tuesday citing the negative impacts of the government’s decision to dump crushed dolomite on Manila Bay as part of a beautification program. In a statement on Wednesday, the UP MSI warned that the use of the controversial dolomite sand— a project in line with the bay’s rehabilitation program — may pose possible health risks and threats to the marine environment. You have successfully joined our subscriber list. “There was no public consultation, no environmental clearance, and premature issuance of the environmental impact assessment, and it’s clear the plan was haphazardly done,” she added. This byproduct — or “synthetic white sand” — from the Alcoy dolomite quarry site has been used as “soil catalyst” or soil conditioner in banana and pineapple plantations in Mindanao for years. While PMSC’s and DMC’s operations are covered with permits from the MGB these permits do not cover the mining, processing and transportation of the dolomite “byproduct” to the local market, Manila Bay included, according to Garcia. Hardly any; a half-kilometer of white sand which, in fact, will be easily eroded away by the next strong typhoon. “The use of dolomite as a substitute for white sand only means that the Manila Bay rehabilitation did not go through the right process or was studied well. Gwendolyn Garcia immediately issued a cease-and-desist order banning further extraction, processing and exportation of the mineral for the Manila Bay project. Leones said the agency halted the overlaying of “white sand” in the Manila Bay due to some problems with their private contractor in Cebu where they sourced the dolomite. The video report by dzBB’s Jhomar Apresto Saturday on location at the bay showed that garbage could be seen strewn all over the beach. The groups also pointed out that it is a violation of a law that requires Manila Bay to be preserved as a historical landmark. It also stated that dolomite in its bulk state is not a known health hazard. Local fisherfolk have been complaining, writes Barrit. Barrit has pointed to the destruction caused by the dolomite to the seabed off Alcoy and Dalaguete. Barrit, a diver himself, said he has seen seagrasses, corals and even turtle shells covered with hardened dolomitic particles, several kilometers from where the hauling takes place. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 1)— The overlaying of sand with crushed dolomite boulders along a portion of Manila Bay will not help solve the environmental problems and issues … November 20, 2020 November 20, ... Akbayan stressed that the “dolomite white sand beach” in Manila Bay violated the mandamus as it will not rehabilitate and restore the area. While the dolomite byproduct is increasingly being used for beach rehabilitation and landscaping, is it the right priority for the national government, pandemic or not, to spend millions of pesos on a beautification project? Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire said that based on studies, a person may suffer adverse effects from inhaling dolomite dust. Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, October 1)— The overlaying of sand with crushed dolomite boulders along a portion of Manila Bay will not help solve the environmental problems and issues hounding the area, according to the University of the Philippines’ Marine Science Institute. But instead of a slap on the wrist, Duterte congratulated (retired Philippine Army general and) DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu for bringing crushed dolomite turned artificial sand to a crowd of people who weren’t able to practice social distancing while waiting for the Manila Bay beach to open. ... Another issue to be addressed is the resettlement of informal settlers around the esteros and in the Pasig River who contributes solid wastes in the waters of the bay. On September 2, the Department of Environment and National Resources (DENR) unveiled its plan to form a 500-meter-long artificial white sand beach along the Roxas Boulevard coast of Manila Bay. Metro Manila (The Philippine Patriot, September 2) — On September 2, the Department of Environment and National Resources (DENR) unveiled WHITE SAND FIASCO: Dolomite and the Issues about the Manila Bay Makeover - The Philippine Patriot Id like to chime in on the many issues raised on this project the matter would settled. Health reported 1,906 new coronavirus disease 2019 ( COVID-19 ) cases on Sunday, pushing the total to 487,690 ©! Known health hazard artipisyal na puting buhangin sa Manila Bay Typhoon Ulysses for.... Adding the issue now becomes a “ factual one not ordinarily entertained by the dolomite to the off... 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