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Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Luzon devider City government of Borongan acts vs marine biodiversity threat

City government of Borongan acts vs marine biodiversity threat

Published Mar 21, 2024 10:05 am

TACLOBAN CITY – The city government of Borongan is taking measures against the looming threat to marine biodiversity brought about by the construction of a seawall project in Lalawigan Beach, one of the city's top surfing and tourist sites.

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MAP of Eastern Samar with Borongan CIty highlighted. 

Aside from the formal report of the Borongan City Environment and Natural Resources Office to the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office regarding the massive extraction of corals at Lalawigan Beach, a resolution from the Sangguniang Panlungsod of Borongan has also been drafted seeking to temporarily halt the operations at the beach to make room for realignment and proper coordination with relevant departments.

This includes an inspection with relevant departments, a comprehensive biodiversity impact assessment, and the need to furnish documents clearing the project of environmental violations.

The SP also held a consultative session with the barangay councils of Lalawigan and Divinubo Island with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)-8.

Lalawigan barangay chairman Joel Capones condemned how the seawall is being mounted.

He, along with the other members of the barangay council, said that it was placed too close to the reef line and has already caused the excavation of a great number of Lalawigan’s corals for its foundation.

"What we want is for them to stop destroying the corals, to protect our beach. If the project is truly for Lalawigan, they should adjust (the seawall). They should use land owned by the government, not the corals, not the beach. The extraction of sand alone is prohibited, why would they destroy the corals that fish and shells inhabit? They lay their eggs there. Dynamite fishing has long been prohibited because it destroys the corals, and now it is the backhoe that’s destroying the corals, which should not be the case."

The issue was echoed by the fishermen at Divinubo Island who also use the Lalawigan shore as their docking area.

Borongan City Mayor Jose Ivan Dayan Agda supported the barangay’s position by affirming that the city government strictly imposes the protection of said salvage zones.

Echoing the barangay officials’ manifestation, the mayor also asked for the project to be put on hold and for the DPWH to take the appropriate measures in the interest of tourism and environmental protection.

The seawall construction is divided into six phases worth P144 million each. The barrier is 1,365 meters long, encompassing about two kilometers of the beach’s total area. 
 

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