FINDING ANSWERS
When President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. suspended reclamation projects in Manila Bay early this month, the reason he gave mirrored what many people have been worried about.
“Kung matuloy lahat ‘yan, maraming ilog mababara eh. Wala na pupuntahan talaga ‘yong tubig. (Because if they all push through, many rivers will be clogged. The water will really have nowhere to go),” the President said during a briefing with Bulacan local officials on the severe flooding caused by Typhoon Egay.
He also shared the lament of many Filipinos affected by the disappearing view of the world-renowned sunset that used to be seen years ago on vast stretches of the main road running along Manila Bay. “Kung Roxas Boulevard, wala na yung dagat eh (At Roxas Boulevard, the sea is gone).”
The President’s decision to suspend reclamation has been met with jubilation among various groups and individuals concerned about its adverse impact on the environment, marine life, coastal protection, fisherfolks’ livelihood, food security, and many others.
The most vocal among those opposing reclamation is Sen. Cynthia Villar, chair of the Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources, and the Senate Committee on Agriculture and Food, who was guest of honor in last Tuesday’s Kapihan sa Manila Hotel which I hosted together with Manila Bulletin publisher and former Press Secretary Sonny Coloma.
Why she’s against reclamation has a lot to do with the Las Piñas Parañaque Wetland Park, one of the most important wetlands in the world which became a “legislative protected area” through her efforts, and is included in the 1971 Ramsar Convention on Wetlands of International Importance.
“If I allow reclamation,” Sen. Villar explained, “the mangrove forests in our Las Piñas Parañaque Wetland Park will be destroyed, and it’s the biggest spawning ground of fishes for Manila Bay which is giving livelihood to 300,000 fisherfolks.”
She told the Kapihan forum of her work for 12 years which led to the following: Four rivers (Las Piñas River, Parañaque River, Zapote River, and Molino River) leading to Manila Bay were cleaned, informal settlers on the easement were relocated, and an expensive 40-kilometer drive was built along the rivers “so people can see the rivers.”
“Kaya nang malaman ko na irereclaim yung dadaanan ng rivers namin (That’s why when I learned of the reclamation of our rivers) towards Manila Bay, I was shocked because all my efforts will be in vain,” Sen. Villar said. “I cannot really agree to a reclamation of Manila Bay especially in our area in Las Piñas, Parañaque and Bacoor because that will destroy everything that we have worked for the last 12 years.”
She also warned that flooding, as a result of reclamation, leads to market values of land going down. “Nobody wants to buy from a flooded area… Even investors will not come, and it’s a complete deterioration of the place.”
Sen. Villar said that from the end of September to early November, her committee will be conducting hearings on the measure filed by Sen. Risa Hontiveros to review the Manila Bay reclamation.
She said the hearing will also tackle the concept of the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), formerly known as the Public Estates Authority before it was renamed.
“I thought that Public Estates Authority is better, because you are developing public estate but you are not necessarily reclaiming,” Sen. Villar told the Kapihan. “Kasi pag sinabi mong (because if you say) Philippine Reclamation Authority, parang binibigyan mo sila ng (it’s like giving them) power to reclaim… You created an agency that’s only doing reclamation, and I don’t believe in that. That’s why we have to review.”
She also decried the issuance without consultation of the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) by the Environmental Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources. Reclamation projects need to have the ECC before approval by the PRA.
“Unfortunately, those ECCs were issued without consultation. That’s the problem,” Sen. Villar said. “Maybe we can make it harder for them to issue the ECC.”
And speaking of the PRA granting the permit for reclamation after an ECC is issued, I think approval should lie with a bigger body like the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) so that there will be a multi-disciplinary approach to public estate development which includes reclamation. NEDA is indeed a bigger body; it’s practically the entire Cabinet.
At the Kapihan, Sen. Villar also asked Filipinos who are against unjustified reclamation to speak out. “I cannot do it alone so I’m appealing to the people that if you support this cause, maybe you should be heard so that our people from government will realize that this is a very popular cause, that we should preserve our environment… If we want to protect our children and the future generation of Filipinos, we should work together.” ([email protected])