Cimatu has done right for Manila Bay

I really don’t know why there is a controversy over the use of Dolomite grains, which come from Alcoy, Cebu. That company that creates these Dolomites have been there for over 20 years already. When our biker groups go on a short ride to Alcoy, we already know we’ve arrived when we reach the Dolomite plant.

Mind you, more than 20 years ago, the high-end resorts in Mactan have been accused of hauling white sand from the sandbars between Cebu and Bohol (which was probably true at that time). However, when the Dolomite plant became operational, many resorts got their white sand from Alcoy and that controversy died down.

Over the weekend, I did see on YouTube the congressional  interview of Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Sec. Roy Cimatu who answered the questions by congressmen (I could not identify them as they were wearing face masks) and Sec. Cimatu answered all the questions very well. Another YouTube interview that I saw was with Manila Mayor Isko Moreno by former ABS-CBN’s Karen Davila who obviously acted like one of the environmentalists. But when Mayor Isko asked her, “Where were you when people complained about how dirty Manila Bay has become” she could not give a proper reply!

What I didn’t like was that the group that calls itself the Philippine Movement for Climate Justice (PMCJ), who has condemned the extraction of Dolomite rocks, insists “Manila Bay waterfront was declared a National Historical Landmark by the National Historical Commission of the Philippines in 2012. It is protected by the National Cultural Heritage Act of 2009. The act mandates that the bay ‘shall be maintained as close to their appearance at the time the area was most of importance to Philippine history as determined by the National Historical Institute’.” This has nothing to do with the use of Dolomites!

These so-called environmentalist groups are only there to make noise so they can inform their financial supporters that they are doing something that has made national headlines… and get additional funding in the process.

Incidentally, I just read a news report that the Cebu provincial government would no longer investigate the extraction of dolomite rocks by a mining firm in Alcoy, Cebu that are being used to beautify the Manila Bay as pointed out by Third district provincial board member John Ismael Borgonia, who chairs the committee on environmental conservation and natural resources.

Borgonia said the investigation is no longer needed since the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) has already issued a statement regarding the crushed dolomites used as raw materials in filling the stretch of Manila Bay.

The MGB earlier disclosed that a mining firm in Barangay Pugalo was issued a permit to transport the minerals to Manila Bay and that they were “extracted, produced, and shipped out to various buyers following proper regulatory laws and procedures.”

Then last Sunday night, bloggers produced a documentary along the Manila Bay coast where I saw thousands of people living in Manila enjoying the famous Manila Bay sunset… and someone was interviewing the onlookers on what they think of the controversy… Most of them answered…better white sand than garbage!

Then came the issue brought forth by former three term Manila Mayor and former DENR Secretary Lito Atienza, who is a party-list representative of Buhay who found the cost of putting white sand along Manila Bay too extravagant! A lot of those interviewed remarked questioning what former mayor Atienza has done to clean up the Manila Bay during his three terms as mayor? Mind you, there are so many poor people in Manila who cannot afford to enjoy the luxury of seeing the white beaches of Boracay or Bantayan Island in Cebu. What the DENR has done was bring the white beach to the poor people of Manila. Great job Sec. Cimatu!

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Two weeks ago, I read an article in The Philippine STAR that talked about the move of the Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB) to regulate the content of Netflix! While I didn’t write this case in my column I clarified that MTRCB was created to regulate anything and everything, be it movies or television shows that are shown or produced within the Philippines. As what I read in the news report, it seems that the MTRCB wants to regulate the content of Netflix and other online streaming services to ensure their compliance with Philippine laws. I also read that Jonathan Presquito, MTRCB legal affairs division chief, told The STAR that even in South Korea, Netflix content is reviewed to ensure it is age-appropriate and contains no prohibited material. MTRCB cannot do this!

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