Senator Cynthia A. Villar blew her top when the Department of Environment and Natural Resources testified today before her Senate finance sub-committee ‘B’ budget hearing that it had issued 21 Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECCs) for the reclamation of hundreds of hectares in the Manlla Bay Area.

Villar could hardly contain her anger on this issue after leading hours earlier the opening of the Wetland Center Building at the Las Pinas-Paranaque Wetland Park (LPPWP) which coincided with the celebration of the World Migratory Bird Day.

The questioned reclamation project starts from Manila to parts of Cavite along the coastal road.

Appeared angry when DENR officials had a hard time replying which part of Cavite would the reclamation projects cut through.

Villar said she has talked to Bacon (Cavite) officials and told her that they would not proceed with the reclamation project.

She maintained that money could have changed hands when the Cavitex portion of the reclamation project is being revived.

Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga appeared to mollify Villar when she (Loyzaga) said the DENR needs to review its policy on reclamation.

Villar presides over awe committee public hearing on the proposed P23-billion budget of the DENR.

The amount covers budget allocations of the Office of the DENR Secretary, Forest Management Bureau, Land Management Bureau, Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau, Environmental Management Bureau, Mines and Geosciences Bureau, National Mapping and Resource Information Authority, the National Water Resources Board, Palawan Council for Sustainable Development Staff, and DENR field offices in the regions, provinces and in certain cities and municipalities in the country.

During the twin celebrations, the guests were treated by the DENR regional offices and the Biodiversity Management Bureau in Wetland Center museum and auditorium audio visual presentations on Ramsar Sites or the so-called Wetlands of International Importance in the Philippines.

The lady legislator from Las Pinas city was livid that past Philippine Presidents such as Benigno ‘’PNoy’’ Aquino III and Duterte were against reclamation projects in the Manila Bay

‘’I’ll talk to President Bongbong Marcos’’ about the reclamation issue, Villar said.

She said she has worked for the past 10 years against any reclamation project that would affect the Las Pinas-Paranaque Wetland Park.

She said any reclamation work in the coastal area in Paranaque and Las Pinas would cause flooding in Las Pinas and Cavite coastal towns because the outflow of floodwaters in four critical rivers would be blocked.