DENR: Building at dolomite beach for ‘mandamus agencies’

MANILA, Philippines — A two-story building is under construction at the Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach to house personnel of 13 agencies tasked to implement the Supreme Court (SC)’s writ of continuing mandamus to rehabilitate Manila Bay, a Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) official said yesterday.

DENR Undersecretary for policy, planning and international affairs Jonas Leones said among the agencies that will make use of the building, which sits on a 200-square-meter area, are the DENR; the departments of public works and highways, interior and local government, national defense, budget and management, education and health; Philippine Coast Guard, Philippine National Police-Maritime Group, Philippine Ports Authority, Metropolitan Manila Development Authority, Metropolitan Waterworks and Sewerage System and the Local Water Utilities Administration.

The SC, in 2008, gave the 13 agencies 10 years to to clean up, rehabilitate and preserve Manila Bay and restore and maintain its waters to make it fit for swimming, skin-diving and other forms of contact recreation.

“The target is for the building to be completed before the next administration comes in. The plan is for the representatives of said government agencies to hold office there so they can have easy or immediate access to the area,” Leones said.

“If there is a need to hold meetings, it will be easy for them since they are already being housed under one building. Even policemen will be deployed there, and (closed-circuit television cameras) will be installed,” he added.