‘Rody Reminded Manila Bay White Sand Project Lacked ECC’

September 23, 2020 JUST IN

BAGUIO CITY(September 23, 2020) – President Duterte was reminded to take a second look at the Manila Bay white sand project, which accordingly lacked an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).

Lawyer Terry Ridon, convenor of infrastructure think-tank InfraWatch PH said, “Mr. President, the Manila Bay white sand project did not comply with environmental regulations. It has no ECC despite being located in an area with tourist potential and unique historical interest. Projects in these areas require an ECC prior construction under DENR’s regulations.”

Ridon, who also sat as Pres. Duterte’s chairman of the Presidential Commission on Urban Poor said ‘the President confused the objectives of the Manila Bay rehabilitation as merely aesthetic instead of improving water quality and protecting biodiversity.’

“The urgent objective of rehabilitating Manila Bay was not to give the public a nice place to visit, as the President said. The objective is to improve water quality, protect biodiversity and ensure sustainable development,” but Atty. Ridon insisted, “as admitted by DENR officials themselves, beach nourishment is not found in any Manila Bay master plan.”

Ridon further urged his former boss that “the project had indications that the project is tainted with overpricing.” Allowing this project to proceed without disclosing its project costs will undermine (your) anti-corruption drive, he pointed out.

According to Ridon, Pres. Duterte must be appraised that there was only one bidder for the project. There was a mere 2.04% variance from the approved P398-M budget, the lawyer also said. “The winning bidder did not offer any discount from the bid price, despite being the sole bidder.”

Ridon further claimed that “DPWH did not negotiate for a lower project price.”

“These project details alone should give the President pause and order an investigation of the project,” the InfraWatch PH convenor warned, pointing out that, “as previously said, all concerns relating to the project’s costs and environmental impact can be resolved if only it had undergone the ECC permitting process instead of getting an exemption.”

Ridon stressed that the rules are clear that if a project is located in an area with tourist potential and unique historical interest, an ECC is required. “As such, the President should order DENR and DPWH to get an ECC prior to continuing the project.”

The former PCUP chairman also warned that concerns on the project vis-as-vis coronavirus response will continue without DPWH disclosing costs. “Three weeks had already passed since news broke regarding the Manila Bay project but until now DPWH has not disclosed the costs related to the project. It would help their cause to disclose more documentation, and state with certainty how long the beach nourishment will last.”

Though Ridon said “if the sand will last for the next twenty to thirty years, maybe this can be considered as money well spent. “But the problem with DENR, even an estimation of the project life has not been made. No study has been disclosed projecting the life of the project.”

He aptly also warned, “If the project last only until the the next five years, are they willing to go to jail for this?”

-Artemio A. Dumlao