KALIKASAN PEOPLE’S NETWORK FOR THE ENVIRONMENT
PRESS RELEASE
29 February 2024
Green group slams planned resumption of reclamation projects in Manila Bay
Environmental group Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE) condemned the Marcos Jr. administration’s recent move to resume two more reclamation projects in Manila Bay, following an announcement made by the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) last Wednesday.
In the PRA’s announcement, they indicated that the 90-hectare Bacoor Reclamation and Development Project in Bacoor, Cavite and the 15.62-hectare Rehabilitation of the Navotas Fish Port Complex are slated to resume within the first half of 2024. This follows a previous announcement last November 2023 that two big-ticket reclamation projects in Pasay, namely the 360-hectare SM Prime and 265-hectare Pasay Harbor City projects, had also been permitted to resume operations.
“These recent developments show the utter lack of sincerity from the Marcos Jr. administration to investigate and address the impacts linked to reclamation in Manila Bay,” said Jonila Castro, advocacy officer of Kalikasan PNE. “The gradual reversal of the suspension of reclamation projects in Manila Bay will mean nothing but the continued destruction of our environment and the livelihoods of thousands of fisherfolk.”
Last August 2023, President Marcos Jr. gave a verbal suspension order covering reclamation projects in Manila Bay following clamor from civil society. In relation to this, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources also launched a “cumulative impact assessment” to identify the impacts of reclamation across the entirety of Manila Bay.
Kalikasan PNE also questioned the rationale behind the resumption, arguing it defeats the purpose of the DENR’s cumulative impact assessment.
“It makes no sense that the PRA and the DENR are allowing projects to resume one by one without having a clear understanding regarding the combined impacts of reclamation projects across the bay,” said Castro. “These decisions beg us to ask questions — why are the country’s leaders hell bent on pushing these projects despite their disastrous impacts on our coastal communities and ecosystems? Whose pockets are being lined by the billions of pesos being earmarked for these projects? The lack of transparency around these decisions is cause for grave concern, and we continue to demand that all of these projects remain suspended until at least the impact assessment is completed.” #
Contact:
John Carlo Magallon / Communications Officer, Kalikasan PNE
[email protected] / 0955 299 5309
