Fisherfolk from Zambales and Ilocos Sur called for the halt of dredging activities in their provinces as they flocked to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) main office in Quezon City during the commemoration of World Fisheries Day on Friday, Nov. 21.

According to the fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), their members traveled from Zambales and Ilocos Sur so that they could air their dismay at the government for its failure to stop dredging activities that negatively impact their livelihoods.

The group described the country's dredging activities as “continued corporate plunder" of marine and aquatic resources.

“Apart from the corruption-tainted flood-control and infrastructure projects, reclamation, mining, and seabed quarrying have further weakened the climate adaptation of coastal communities, and ultimately worsened their vulnerability to flooding,” Pamalakaya said in a statement.

Fernando Hicap, the national chairperson of Pamalakaya, said that investigations should not be limited to the direct misuse of public funds, adding that government agencies such as the DENR must also be held accountable for approving projects—like reclamation and dredging—that worsen disasters.

“Sa Manila Bay na lamang, nasa 13 reklamasyon ang may environmental permit mula sa DENR. Ito ang dahilan kung bakit sinisira ang mga baybayin ng Zambales at Ilocos Sur sa pamamagitan ng dredging (In Manila Bay alone, around 13 reclamation projects already have environmental permits from the DENR. This is why the shores of Zambales and Ilocos Sur are being destroyed through dredging),” he stated.

Pamalakaya claimed that although the DENR had released a study on the environmental damage caused by reclamation, the findings were never used to order a full halt to the projects.

The fishers’ group said it wants a probe into what they call “corruption-ridden” projects approved by the DENR.

“Large-scale corporate projects can easily acquire an environmental compliance certificate (ECC), often without first meeting the prerequisites including public consultation,” Pamalakaya said.

“Nararapat lang na imbestigahan kung bakit ang mga mapanirang proyekto tulad ng pagmimina at reklamasyon – kapwa nagpapalala ng pagbaha, ay napapahintulutan ng DENR na dapat ay nangangalaga ng kalikasan (It is only right to investigate why destructive projects such as mining and reclamation — both of which worsen flooding — are being allowed by the DENR, which is supposed to protect the environment).”

Based on Pamalakaya’s data, the dredging operations affect about 9,000 coastal residents in Ilocos Sur and 4,000 residents in Zambales.