People couldn’t seem to hold back from visiting Manila Bay to see its new “white sand” façade last weekend—which led to a large, non-social distancing crowd gathering on Roxas Boulevard over the weekend.
As photographs of the congested Manila Bay artificial “beachfront” circulated online as it was opened to the public from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m., netizens voiced their concern about how the large gathering attracted by the new “tourist spot” may lead to another spike in COVID-19 contagion.
LOOK: Throngs of people have gathered along Roxas Boulevard on Sunday, September 20, for a chance to view the artificial Manila bay white sand that has been opened to the public this weekend from 6am to 6pm. 📷:Marianne Bermudez/Philippine Daily Inquirer pic.twitter.com/6zw8HpJgHO
— Inquirer (@inquirerdotnet) September 20, 2020
This issue was also brought up by Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, who discourages the public from visiting the area for the meantime despite the excitement that they may be feeling about it.
“Alam ko po marami sa inyo, nasisiyahan, nagagalak sapagkat ito ay kakaibang pangyayari. ’Yung imposible naging possible. Ngunit, paalala ko pa rin na meron pang pandemya. Meron pa akong pangamba, panganib sa lungsod ng Maynila,” says Moreno.
“Pakiusap ko lang sa mamamayan, gustuhin man nating makita ’yung ‘Manila Bay white sands’ eh siguro may iba pa namang panahon,” adds the mayor.
“I already asked DENR to close ’yung bakod kasi hard hat pa, may construction pang nagaganap,” says Moreno, adding that getting previews of Manila Bay’s new look through various media channels should be “enough” for the public.
Currently, Metro Manila is still under general community quarantine (GCQ), and according to guidelines mandated by the Inter-Agency Task Force, movement for leisure purposes in GCQ areas is still supposedly prohibited.
In line with the weekend crowding fiasco, he also announced that Ermita Police station commander Police Lieutenant Colonel Ariel Caramoan has been removed from his post. This is due to the police’s failure in ensuring that the public maintained social distancing measures on Manila Bay.
Header photo by Marianne Bermudez for Inquirer.net
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The potential health hazards of Manila Bay’s ‘white sand’, as explained by DOH
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Writer: YANN MAGCAMIT
