Aquino asked to set aside Manila Bay reclamation plan

"PRESIDENT Aquino was asked on Sunday to set aside the plan of the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) to allow the reclamation of some 26,000 hectares on Manila Bay.

In a statement, Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), along with Anakpawis Party and Koalisyon Kontra Kumbersyon ng Manila Bay (KKK-Manila Bay) stressed that only the President, through an executive order, can stop the PRA “from destroying what’s left of the once glorious beauty of Manila Bay.”

Through the National Reclamation Plan, various reclamation activities in Manila Bay from Cavite City to Bataan will take place, covering some 26,000 hectares of foreshore lands.

Pamalakaya has been calling on Mr. Aquino to put a stop to all reclamation activities along Manila Bay, that it says do not only affect the livelihood of fishermen, but destroy the natural defense of coastal communities against big waves during storm surges and typhoons.

These reclamation activities include development projects, namely, P14-billion Freedom Island reclamation project in Las Piñas and Parañaque cities, that cover the 175-hectare mangrove forest and bird sanctuary; the 148-hectare reclamation project near the Manila Yacht Club in Manila previously revived by Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim and the 5,000-hectare reclamation plan under the North Bay Boulevard Project in Navotas City.

The groups said the reclamation projects in Cavite, Las Piñas, Parañaque, Manila and Navotas, aside from their negative impact the livelihood of small fishermen and the marine environment in general, will worsen the flooding woes of the people in Metro Manila.

Under Executive Order (EO) 629 signed during the term of former President Gloria Arroyo, the PRA will reclaim over 5,000 hectares of coastal areas near and along Sangley Point, Cavite, that started with the reclamation of 7,000 hectares of foreshore area on Bacoor Bay, paving the way for the construction of R-1 Expressway Extension Project, an enabling infrastructure for the reclamation and development of Sangley Naval Base.

Several months ago, Mr. Aquino canceled the reclamation project.

Mr. Aquino said the project is not viable owing to lack of funds and investors are not keen to invest in such undertaking.

Under EO 629, the PRA is tasked to pursue reclamation activities along the foreshore area of Cavite to expand the limited land of Cavite City where the planned international seaport and airport will be constructed. The order signed by Arroyo tasked the PRA to lead the Executive Committee for the Development of Sangley Point into an international logistic hub.

The PRA will be supported by representatives from the office of the Mayor of Cavite City, Departments of Transportation and Communications, National Defense, National Economic and Development Authority, Departments of Trade and Industry, Environment and Natural Resources, Public Works and Highways and Public Economic Zone Authority.

Party-list Rep. Rafael Mariano of Anakpawis, acting on the complaints of fishermen and urban poor residents along the bay, earlier filed a resolution seeking an inquiry into the planned reclamation projects in many parts of Manila Bay at the House of Representatives.

He wants Congress to find out the impact of these projects to small fishermen.

Mariano said reclamation projects under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) Program of the Aquino administration could result in the displacement of thousands of people living the affected areas.

“These projects will only benefit the few and will be a disadvantage to the already disadvantaged small fishermen,” Mariano said.

He said some 3,500 small fishermen and their families in the Pasay Reclamation Area and another 3,000 coastal and urban poor families along the coastal shores of Parañaque City were evicted by the Ramos administration to give way to reclamation projects.

Mariano said the fishermen living along Manila Bay observed a sharp decline in their daily fish catch from a high of 15 kilos to 20 kilos a day down to 3 kilos to 5 kilos a day.

The reclamation plan was presented to the Cabinet Economic Cluster in June 2011, which reportedly noted the huge potential investment that reclamation projects could generate, according to Mariano."


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