TAKE A STRONGER STAND | Members of the fisherfolk group Pamalakaya stage a protest at the main office of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources early this month. The group is part of a coalition that has written Environment Secretary Toni Yulo Loyzaga urging her to reject all reclamation projects at Manila Bay. (Photo by NIÑO JESUS ORBETA / Philippine Daily Inquirer)
MANILA, Philippines — The battle for Manila Bay continues under the new administration of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
Hoping to have found a new ally in Environment Secretary Toni Yulo Loyzaga, environmentalists, marine scientists, and fisherfolk groups have revived a campaign to reject all ongoing and planned reclamation projects around the historic bay.
In a letter to the new secretary dated Aug. 5 and disclosed to the media over the weekend, the groups, collectively calling themselves People’s Niche (Network for the Integrity of Coastal Habitats and Ecosystems), asked for a dialogue with her so they can put forward “science- and evidence-based alternatives” to reclamation activities.
“We approach this new leadership with open minds, aware of Secretary Loyzaga’s reputation as the ‘experts’ expert’ on environmental issues, based on her solid track record of decades of hard work as a woman of science and an advocate for creating climate- and disaster-resilient Filipino communities,” said the alliance.
The People’s Niche is a long-standing alliance convened by the Center for Environmental Concerns Philippines, Oceana Philippines, Living Laudato Si, Yacap, Agham, Pamalakaya, Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment, and Alliance for Stewardship and Authentic Progress.
Among others, they asked Loyzaga, who was former chair of the International Advisory of the Manila Observatory, to review ongoing reclamation projects and reassess their environmental and social impacts through independent third-party experts.
Since its launching in 2013, the group has been pressing the government to declare Manila Bay as a reclamation-free zone, citing risks to life, livelihood and the environment.
Long list
There are at least 46 reclamation projects being planned in Manila Bay alone, which would affect more than 32,000 hectares of fishing waters. Many of these were hatched before former President Rodrigo Duterte ordered a stop to the processing of applications for new reclamation projects in 2021.
In banning new reclamation projects, Duterte had insinuated that the projects were ridden with corruption and said he would let the next administration deal with them instead. However, Mr. Marcos has not yet laid out clear plans on reclamation activities.
Before Duterte stepped down, among the projects approved in Manila Bay included the 148-ha Solar City Manila project of Manila Goldcoast Development Corp.; the Navotas City Coastal Bay reclamation of the local government, two separate 360- and 265-ha reclamation projects in Pasay City, and the 418-ha Horizon Manila project of the joint venture between the Manila City government and JBros Construction Corp.
The environment groups specifically pointed to the 320-ha reclamation project in Bacoor City, Cavite, and the reclamation being done for the construction of the 2,500-ha Bulacan Aerotropolis project, or what its proponent, San Miguel Corp. (SMC), calls the New Manila International Airport.
In its letter, People’s Niche said the projects would cause extensive damage to the marine and coastal ecosystems in the bay, on which thousands of fisherfolk depend for a living. Moreover, it would also damage the mangroves on the bay, which are crucial in climate resilience.
Displacement
“Even though powerful interests are pushing reclamation projects, we would like to believe that Secretary Yulo Loyzaga, being a woman of science, will be able to stand firm on rejecting proposals shown by evidence to be unscientific and destructive,” said Jon Bonifacio, acting National Coordinator of Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment.
The Bacoor reclamation project, which is expected to displace 700 fisherfolk families, already received clearance from the DENR in 2020.
The environment compliance certificate (ECC) was issued after then Bacoor City Mayor Lani Mercado Revilla, the project’s main proponent, satisfied the requirements of the DENR’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIS) review committee. However, the DENR noted that the ECC did not create any right or authorization to implement the project.
The Bulacan airport project, on the other hand, will be constructed on a 2,500-ha coastal fishpond in the town of Bulakan, about 35 kilometers north of Manila, and will stretch from Taliptip River Stream in Barangay Taliptip to Sitio Baluarte in Obando town.
SMC said the project would generate about a million jobs and jump-start economic growth in Bulacan and neighboring provinces.
Apart from improving tourism and addressing congestion problems, SMC said it would boost small local industries, manufacturing, and exports and possibly give rise to new ones.
While many affected fishpond owners have sold their properties, some residents continue to oppose the project and are getting help from environmental and conservation advocates.
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