THE Inter-Agency Task Force (IATF) has banned the entry of children aged 11 and below at the Manila Bay dolomite beach, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Undersecretary Benny Antiporda said yesterday.
Manila Mayor Isko Moreno, meanwhile, dared the IATF to file charges against DENR officials for opening the beach to the public that resulted in overcrowding, a clear violation of IATF rules on mass gathering amid the pandemic.
And Sen. Nancy Binay said the beach should be temporarily closed while the DENR comes up with clear guidelines regarding visitors to prevent the further spread of the deadly virus.
The controversial beach reopened last October 17 after quarantine restrictions in Metro Manila shifted to Alert Level 3.
Antiporda, in an online briefing with Presidential spokesman Harry Roque, said the IATF made the decision during its meeting on Monday night, after the beach was overwhelmed by a crowd estimated at 5,000 during the weekend.
He said children were initially allowed because of a previous IATF policy that kids are allowed in open areas.
He said that during weekdays, only 300 to 400 people visit the beach, but the number doubled during the weekend.
Antiporda said the ban will be in effect until Alert Level 3 is in effect in Metro Manila, adding it would be recalibrated if the IATF changes the alert level in the National Capital Region.
Alert Level 3 has been imposed in Metro Manila from October 16 to 31.
He said the DENR has also adopted measures to ensure crowd control and social distancing are observed during their visit to the dolomite beach, such as limiting the number of people in the beach at a given time and observing a five-minute rule.
Antiporda also announced that the beach will be closed to the public from October 29 to November 3 in observance of All Saints’ and All Souls’ Days.
Roque reiterated that due to the pandemic, children are still not allowed to go out of their homes unless they are accompanied by adults to exercise in parks or to buy medicines.
“I am calling on the IATF to sue all those DENR officials. They are the ones violating their own order,” Moreno said in a television interview.
Moreno said if the IATF cannot file cases against DENR officials, there is no point in asking the public to abide by health protocols, more so charge them when they are apprehended for violating rules.
Moreno clarified that while Manila Bay is under the jurisdiction of the city government of Manila, the DENR is in control of the dolomite beach area due to their ongoing construction and other activities. He added the city government was not informed the dolomite beach would be reopened to the public.
Binay said DENR officials must be sensitive to the efforts of healthcare workers who take care of seriously infected people.
“While our frontliners in the health sector are doing every necessary intervention in controlling the spread of new COVID variants, there are also those who organize events or offer unnecessary attractions yet failed to manage the crowds resulting in rapid community transmissions,” Binay said.
The Department of Health advised those who visited the beach over the weekend to closely observe their health for possible COVID symptoms like fever, cough, weakness, loss of taste/smell, body pain, headache, sore throat, colds, diarrhea, and difficulty in breathing. — With Ashzel Hachero, Raymond Africa, and Gerard Naval
