Mamamayang Liberal (ML) Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima is seeking a congressional probe on the glut of reclamation projects in the country and their impacts on communities and the environment.

De Lima, a House deputy minority leader, filed House Resolution (HR) No. 574, for this purpose.

The former senator wants the inquiry to begin with the reclamation projects in Manila Bay, and determine the accuracy of government data, evaluate compliance with environmental laws, and assess their socioeconomic impact on affected communities.

“In view of the permits secured by the various reclamation projects in Manila Bay despite documented community-based concerns and science-based assessments pointing to their negative impacts on the environment and neighboring communities, there is a need to assess all reclamation projects in the country to determine the validity of their process of securing the necessary permits and to ensure that their negative impacts have been assessed and considered thoroughly,” the resolution read.

De Lima further pointed out that the governance structure for reclamation involves multiple agencies with overlapping mandates, including the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), local government units (LGUs), and the Office of the President, “resulting in confusion, gaps in accountability, and inconsistent enforcement.”

“There exists a concerning lack of clarity regarding the actual scope of reclamation activities, with recent data showing conflicting figures. These discrepancies suggest a fragmentation in data monitoring and regulatory oversight," she noted.

“Dapat nababantayan at namomonitor ito nang maigi. Hindi dapat basta-basta pinapayagan o nakakalusot ang ganitong mga aktibidad na nakita na natin ang dalang panganib sa mga apektadong komunidad,” De Lima added.

(This must be closely watched and monitored. Such activities should not simply be allowed or slip through, especially since we have already seen the dangers they bring to affected communities.)

Reports claim that each reclamation project in the Manila Bay was assessed on their environmental impact as stand-alone obstructions on the Bay, when the proper course of action should have been to assess and examine the combined impact of all 20 to 30 reclamation projects on the environment.

It can be recalled that the United States (US) previously expressed concerns about the environmental impacts of reclamation projects in Manila Bay, which borders the US embassy; as well as the involvement of a Chinese construction firm blacklisted by Washington.

In 2023, President Marcos ordered the suspension of all reclamation projects in Manila Bay--except one which remains unnamed and unidentified--pending a review of their compliance with environmental regulations.

“Sa kabila ng mga sinasabing modernisasyon o pag-unlad na hatid ng mga reclamation, hindi dapat ma-etsapuwera dito ang kalikasan, kabuhayan at kaligtasan ng mga Pilipino. Kailangang nasa iisang direksyon at nakatutok nang maigi dito ang mga ahensya ng ating pamahalaan,” De Lima said.

(Despite the claims of modernization or progress brought by reclamation, nature, livelihood, and the safety of Filipinos must not be disregarded. Government agencies must be aligned and focused on this.)

“Hindi makatarungan na sa mga reclamation, kasamang tatabunan ang kabuhayan ng ating mga kababayan, at mailalagay lang lalo sa peligro ang mga komunidad dahil sa pagkasira ng mga yamang dagat at paglubha ng mga pagbaha,” she added.

(It is unjust that in reclamation, the livelihood of our fellow citizens is buried along with it, and communities are placed in even greater danger due to the destruction of marine resources and the worsening of floods.)

As then-senator, De Lima also called for a Senate inquiry to probe large-scale land reclamation projects for the threats they pose to coastal and marine ecosystems around the country.

She emphasized that there must be strict implementation of the country’s environmental laws, stating that the widespread approval of reclamation projects is alarming for the current and future generations of Filipinos.

The solon added that the government should consider imposing a moratorium on the continuing approval of such projects detrimental to the environment and to the livelihoods of our countrymen.