Is town’s 132-hectare reclamation worth loss of marine life and fishing?
Looking ahead, there will be a “mini-Boracay” with a man-made white beach.
Cottages and restaurants.
A new roll-on-roll-off port there started initial operations last January.
Ongoing work on the first ten hectares of a 132-hectare reclamation project in Cordova town has focused attention on the impact of massive earth-moving operations, which environment experts said take a heavy toll on the coastal ecosystem and displaces fisherfolk.
What happens to sea grass, corals and other marine life that will be covered up by tons of limestone and other filling material?
The project’s costs and benefits were discussed in a forum yesterday at the University of Cebu (UC) Banilad attended by students, Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy, municipal officials, organized fisherfolk and other stakeholders.
Environment activist Vince Cinches, who steered the forum, said it was important to look for alternatives and to help Cordova “correct” any lapses before legal action is taken against the project.
He noted Cordova’s lack of scientific expertise and public awareness of the cost of reclamation.
It was proposed yesterday that a three-day biological evaluation be made by marine experts and other scientists to inventory the different species in the project site that would be affected.
“Okay ko ana basta makatabang sa Cordova (I’m fine with that as long as it helps Cordova),” said Mayor Sitoy.
He explained features of the reclamation project, which is being undertaken by the municipal government and the Cebu provincial government.
An “eGwen Avenue” inaugurated there will be the widest highway in Mactan once completed.
Sitoy said poverty in his town was the main reason he pushed for reclaiming foreshore land in a bid to bring in investments, especially in tourism.
Residents of Cordova, third-class municipality, mostly rely on small-scale fishing.
The town was in the limelight last year after several raids unconvered home-based cyberpornography rackets. Children posed naked or performed sexual acts in front of web cameras, with the prodding of parents or neighbors seeking dollar payments from online viewers abroad.
Cebu Daily News on Friday observed the dumping of filling materials in a mangrove area in sitio Camolinas, barangay Poblacion, site of a new ro-ro port.
Some fishermen complained that their access to the sea was blocked, and their bancas had to dock farther from their homes. Mayor Sitoy assured them in a recent dialogue that an area would be designated for their boats in the new project and that jobs as stevedores would be available.
In yesterday’s forum, an economist, a university professor and an expert of the the Geographical Information System (GIS) spoke about the environment cost and effects of reclamation project on the coastal and marine ecosystem.
The Camolinas Fisherfolks Organization headed by Daisy Tajanlangit attended the forum.
Prof. Rene Rollon of the University of the Philippines (UP) in Diliman cited the loss of sea grasses, which are an important part of coastal ecosystem.
Sea grass, where fish and seashells are found, is “interconnected” with the mangroves and corals, he said.
They can’t be replanted, making restoration of sea grass more costly than reclamation projects .
“Prevention from destruction rather than restoration,” he said.
At least one kilometer of the reclamation site visited by a Cebu Daily News team on Friday was filled with sea grass.
Dr. Lourdes Montenegro, an economist, conducted a 2001 study of the impact of a proposed reclamation project of the Malayan Integrated Industries Corp., which didn’t proceed.
It covered a bigger area, almost 1,000 hectares. She said it would have resulted in heavy environmental damage that cost more than the revenue from the project.
Environment lawyer Benjamin Cabrido said yesterday’s forum aimed to help people understand the impact of reclamation projects.
Cabrido, who is a nephew of the mayor, said he consulted with Sitoy and reached an agreement to have the forum.
A new roll-on-roll-off port in sitio Camolinas started operations last Jan. 28. At least three trucks are dumping filling materials from the port.
An “e-Gwen Avenue” is planned at the boundary of barangay Alegria and Gabi.
Last Jan. 26, Mayor Sitoy and his councilor met with Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia, afraid the project would be delayed as the contractor apparently lacked enough trucks.
Garcia gave Cañeda Construction one month to get back on schedule.
Phase 1 of the reclamation project is due for completion in June. It covers 10 hectares of the 132-hectare project and costs P80 million.
Mayor Sitoy said he would start looking for commercial investors once Phase 1 is completed.
In August last year, Governor Garcia inaugurated the “eGwen Avenue” as the access road to Cordova’s ro-ro port and the Provincial Reclamation Project.
She said the avenue would be the widest highway in Mactan Island once it’s completed.
