Manila Bay rehabilitation

Mining bureau issued permit to extract, transport Cebu dolomite for Manila Bay sand

Ryan Macasero

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Mining bureau issued permit to extract, transport Cebu dolomite for Manila Bay sand

Workers prepare white sand to patch the beach along Manila Bay on Thursday, September 3, 2020 as part of the rehabilitation plan and in preparation for International Coastal Cleanup Day on September 19. Photo by Inoue Jaena/Rappler

Rappler.com

The Mining and Geosciences Bureau in the Central Visayas confirms that the mineral used to make the controversial synthetic sand was from Alcoy town, in Cebu province

The Central Visayas’ mining bureau said it issued the permit to extract and transport the controversial dolomite that was the source of the synthetic sand being dumped in Manila Bay. 

Mining and Geosciences Bureau Central Visayas (MGB-7) confirmed that the dolomite came from Alcoy town in southern Cebu and was produced by the Dolomite Mining Corporation. 

The ore transport permit for the dolomite was also issued on August 26, according to MGB-7.

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Cebu provincial board did not issue permit to extract synthetic sand for Manila Bay

Cebu provincial board did not issue permit to extract synthetic sand for Manila Bay

“This dolomite shipment is the reported ‘white sand’ which had been spread along the shoreline of Manila Bay to enhance the aesthetic beauty of the bayfront,” the mining bureau said. 

According to a press statement from MGB-7, Dolomite Mining Corporation (DMC) has a 25-year mineral production sharing agreement (MPSA) with the government that will expire in 2030. 

Mining and transportation permits of less than 5 hectares fall under the jurisdiction of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), while the MGB-7 could issue permits for sites over 5 hectares.

According to the MGB-7’s database of MPSA, the dolomite mine in Alcoy is 524.61 hectares. 

The chairman of the Cebu provincial board’s environment committee previously told Rappler that they would look into the mine because no permit was issued by them for the extraction or transport of the dolomite.

But now that the MGB-7 said the permit was issued by them, the environment committee will discuss again if they will pursue an investigation into the mining of the material.

Dolomite Mining Corporation is based in Makati City and lists a certain Philip S Tuazon as its president.

Aside from Manila, the mine ships to local markets in Misamis Oriental, Pasig and Davao. Internationally, the biggest markets for Cebu’s dolomite are in Taiwan and Japan.

Critics slammed the project for being unnecessary and possibly harmful to the shoreline of Manila Bay.

It was Department of Environment and Natural Resources Undersecretary Benny Antiporda who first said the sand was synthetic, made from crushed dolemite, imported from Cebu. – with reports from John Sitchon and Lorraine Ecarma/Rappler.com

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Nobuhiko Matsunaka

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Ryan Macasero

Ryan covers social welfare for Rappler. He started at Rappler as social media producer in 2013, and later took on various roles for the company: editor for the #BalikBayan section, correspondent in Cebu, and general assignments reporter in the Visayas region. He graduated from California State University, East Bay, with a degree in international studies and a minor in political science. Outside of work, Ryan performs spoken word poetry and loves attending local music gigs. Follow him on Twitter @ryanmacasero or drop him leads for stories at ryan.macasero@rappler.com