'Not one inch'
Published Oct 15, 2022 12:05 am
MEDIUM RARE
Jullie Y. Daza
From her office window Sen. Nancy Binay has been watching a boat regularly dumping what looks like sand into Manila Bay.
One floor below, as Senate President Migz Zubiri tells her, he has been looking at an islet seemingly taking shape on the water.
From her seat during the budget hearing for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Sen. Cynthia Villar lost her cool, totally, when she learned that environmental compliance certificates (ECC) have been issued to 21 entities to reclaim – or claim? – a total of 2,372.4 hectares from the bay.
Reclaim or claim Manila Bay, like it was a piece of property owed people with rights and a title? The ECC’s were issued between 2018 and 2019, which prompted then President Duterte to declare a moratorium: No more reclamation projects! One presidency later, President BBM said he would surrender “not one square inch” of the West Philippine Sea – could People of the Philippines now hope for a repeat of those four words to protect and preserve Manila Bay?
Whenever Senator Cynthia lets her red-hot emotions show, it’s a good day for citizens who share her passion for guarding Mother Nature from predators who would use power and privilege to get what they want, such as a big piece of a living national treasure, with money changing hands (sniff, sniff).
Although 21 certificates were issued, only six were identified by name, for hectarages ranging from 18 to 844. In the senator’s view, any artificial project built on the bay is bound to end in a disaster programmed to sink Pasay, Las Piñas, Parañaque, Cavite. At a time when the world is acutely conscious of climate change no longer as a threat but a day-to-day reality, tinkering with the bay would be no more, no less than a crime against man and nature.
Claim/reclaim Manila Bay? The proponents might as well claim the sun and moon, too, the clouds, the air and that great blue dome overhead. Which agency, which business group, which province has the cheek to say a part or parts of the bay belong to them? If one day they’ll have the ability to set the time for the sun to set over the bay, then we might listen to them.
Jullie Y. Daza
From her office window Sen. Nancy Binay has been watching a boat regularly dumping what looks like sand into Manila Bay.
One floor below, as Senate President Migz Zubiri tells her, he has been looking at an islet seemingly taking shape on the water.
From her seat during the budget hearing for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Sen. Cynthia Villar lost her cool, totally, when she learned that environmental compliance certificates (ECC) have been issued to 21 entities to reclaim – or claim? – a total of 2,372.4 hectares from the bay.
Reclaim or claim Manila Bay, like it was a piece of property owed people with rights and a title? The ECC’s were issued between 2018 and 2019, which prompted then President Duterte to declare a moratorium: No more reclamation projects! One presidency later, President BBM said he would surrender “not one square inch” of the West Philippine Sea – could People of the Philippines now hope for a repeat of those four words to protect and preserve Manila Bay?
Whenever Senator Cynthia lets her red-hot emotions show, it’s a good day for citizens who share her passion for guarding Mother Nature from predators who would use power and privilege to get what they want, such as a big piece of a living national treasure, with money changing hands (sniff, sniff).
Although 21 certificates were issued, only six were identified by name, for hectarages ranging from 18 to 844. In the senator’s view, any artificial project built on the bay is bound to end in a disaster programmed to sink Pasay, Las Piñas, Parañaque, Cavite. At a time when the world is acutely conscious of climate change no longer as a threat but a day-to-day reality, tinkering with the bay would be no more, no less than a crime against man and nature.
Claim/reclaim Manila Bay? The proponents might as well claim the sun and moon, too, the clouds, the air and that great blue dome overhead. Which agency, which business group, which province has the cheek to say a part or parts of the bay belong to them? If one day they’ll have the ability to set the time for the sun to set over the bay, then we might listen to them.