President Rodrigo Duterte said on Monday the people are now enjoying the Manila Bay "white sand" Baywalk contrary to earlier criticisms by Vice President Leni Robredo and other groups.

In a taped televised message in Davao City, Duterte hailed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources for the Manila Bay project.

"Let us begin by congratulating (DENR) Secretary (Roy) Cimatu. You know, I remember that meeting and I think everybody was there when I said, Roy, can you clean (the Manila Bay)?' And his answer was very curtly - very curtly given, he said, 'I can work on it'," he said.

"Now people are really enjoying the reclaimed area with white sand...you do it, they will say something. You do not do it, Leni will say something also," the President said.

Robredo earlier said the DENR's white sand project was misplaced. She has said the reported P349-million fund for the project could have been spent on the government's coronavirus responses.

Environmental groups, who have been also hitting the project, said the government could have done a more realistic action to rehabilitate the heavy polluted Manila Bay instead of dumping crushed dolomite on portion of the bay. Celerina Monte/DMS