Bohol bishop’s call: Protect unique reef

PLAYGROUND In this August 2022 photo, children on Balicasag Island in Panglao, Bohol, play on the beach unmindful of tourist boats docked there. In the northern part of the province, concerns have been raised about a bridge project that threatens the Danajon Bank Double Barrier Reef, a rare geological formation. —ROBERT JAWORSKI L. ABAÑO

TAGBILARAN CITY—The top Catholic Church leader in Bohol has appealed to local officials and government agencies to protect a unique reef system in the province amid the planned construction of the Negros-Cebu-Bohol-Leyte (Neceboley) interlink bridge connecting the four Visayan islands. Tagbilaran Bishop Alberto Uy, in an open letter posted on Facebook, described the Danajon Bank Double Barrier Reef (DBDBR) as “a valuable treasure to Boholanos because of its exceptionally rare geological feature.”

“It is with utmost urgency and profound concern that we address the critical need to safeguard and uphold the sanctity of the Danajon Double Barrier Reef. As custodians of this invaluable natural wonder, it is incumbent upon us to exert every effort within our means to ensure its protection and preservation for generations to come,” he said.

The Bohol Island Geopark website describes the DBDBR, on the northern coast of Bohol, as a “very rare geological formation” and the “only one of its kind in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.”

“It is composed of numerous but diverse islets and reef patches joining together into an inner Calituban and outer Caubyan barrier reef. Because of its unique coral reef ecology, it is a major breeding ground and habitat of many different species of fishes, marine mammals, mollusks and seagrasses,” it said.

The $15-billion Neceboley project aims to connect Negros Oriental, Cebu, Bohol and Southern Leyte through a 238-kilometer network of bridges and expressways. Engineering and preconstruction activities have been set this year.

Bishop Uy said: “The Danajon Bank Double Barrier Reef stands as a testament to the breathtaking beauty and ecological significance of our marine environment. Its rich biodiversity and delicate ecosystem are not only a source of wonder and inspiration but also a vital component of our natural heritage.”

Most Rev. Alberto S. Uy, D.D. —CBCP

Opposition

He said any proposed development initiatives that pose a threat to this “irreplaceable gift of nature” must be met with resolute opposition and unwavering commitment to its preservation.

The Tagbilaran Baywatch, an environmental watchdog in Bohol and Tagbilaran City, strongly opposed the Cebu-Bohol bridge and the reclamation of 568 hectares foreshore and offshore in the Visayas region.

The DBDBR, it said, is a protected landscape and seascape, as declared by the Regional Development Council in Central Visayas on the recommendation of the Protected Area Suitability Assessment team of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Last March, Bohol Rep. Maria Vanessa Cadorna-Aumentado filed House Bill No. 10066 declaring the DBDBR a protected area with the category of protected landscape and seascape under the National Integrated Protected Areas System.

“By safeguarding the reef and its associated ecosystems, policymakers seek to strike a delicate balance between conservation imperatives and the socioeconomic needs of local communities reliant on marine resources,” the lawmaker said.