PEOPLE going to the Manila Baywalk Dolomite Beach, a mock-up white sand area, will be limited to a maximum stay of 15 minutes, according to Environment Undersecretary Jonas R. Leones.

“We have undertaken a carrying capacity study in the area, and based on our study, there should only be 10,000 people at any given time,” Mr. Leones said in an interview at CNN’s The Source on Monday.

He also said they will be closing the area for one day per week for maintenance.

Mr. Leones reported that a total of 8,000 people flocked to the area when it re-opened to the public on Oct. 16 as Metro Manila’s quarantine classification was downgraded after more than a year of one of the longest and strictest lockdowns in the world.

A day after, the number of visitors more than tripled to 25,000. On Saturday, Oct. 23, the number of people who visited the area doubled to 50,000.

“Maybe it’s not just the excitement (to go out) but the people were also curious about the dolomite. Maybe that was their compelling reason why they really wanted to go and see the area,” Mr. Leones said.

He said they have also opened an expansion area to accommodate more people but it was still not enough.

The 1.2-hectare Dolomite Beach, named after the P389 million worth of artificial white sand or “dolomite” it is made up of, is part of the national government’s program to rehabilitate the Manila Bay. — Bianca Angelica D. Añago

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