FISHERFOLK GROUP has urged Philippine President Ferdinand R. Marcos, Jr. to issue an executive order (EO) that would bar reclamation and quarrying projects in Manila Bay to deter further environmental damage.
“We demand an official written order from no less than President Marcos himself terminating reclamation projects across Manila Bay,” Fernando L. Hicap, chairman of the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA), said in a statement.
The group cited a February impact assessment study by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute, which showed that these projects would worsen flooding in Metro Manila.
“Our protest will not end with the cessation of reclamation,” Mr. Hicap said. “Thousands of fishers and coastal poor communities continue to suffer from the destruction of extensive marine resources that are vital to our livelihood.”
In August 2023, Mr. Marcos suspended all reclamation projects at the bay, except for one, ordering the DENR to review their environmental effects.
Senators Juan Miguel F. Zubiri and Emmanuel Joel J. Villanueva earlier blamed the reclamation at Manila Bay for heavy flooding, especially in Manila, Pasay City and Bulacan province.
Based on DENR data, the government has spent about P1 trillion on flood control projects in the past decade.
“The recent cumulative impact assessment affirms the collective opposition of environmentalists and fisherfolk against this destructive activity,” PAMALAKAYA’s national chairperson said.
“Corporations and the government must be held accountable for their collusion in plundering our natural resources.” — John Victor D. Ordoñez
