Contrary to the Philippine Reclamation Authority’s claim of 13 reclamation projects in Manila Bay, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) continues to assert that the actual count is higher.

During a television interview on August 14, PRA Assistant General Manager Joseph John M. Literal stated that there are 13 reclamation projects in Manila Bay and 22 across the nation.

“[The] 22 [reclamation projects], that’s the number of approved projects nationwide. In Manila Bay, the total is 13,” Literal said.

However, according to the Freedom of Information (FoI) document that Philippine Reclamation Authority disclosed on May 19 listed 22 Manila Bay reclamation projects that were at various stages of development, including the application stage.

At that time, only two reclamation projects—the Pasay Harbour City Project and the Pasay 390-hectare reclamation project—were actively working on reclamation, while the Manila Waterfront City Reclamation Project was in the preparation phase.

At present, all 22 reclamation projects in Manila Bay have been put on hold pending a review of their environmental and social effects and regulatory compliance is conducted, after Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga announced last August 10.

“The declaration is really that all of these projects are suspended at this point. All are under review. We have to take our time, starting with those that are ongoing because they’re in fact already impacting areas and we’ll graduate to those that have yet to begin,” Yulo-Loyzaga said in a Palace briefing.

Dredging operations continue despite Marcos’s order

According to fisherfolks group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), dredging operations for reclamation are still going on in Cavite as of August 13.

The group also said they spotted vessels that are engaged in dredging operations off the shores of Rosario, Noveleta, Tanza, and Naic in Cavite.

“These dredging operations that complement various reclamation projects in Manila Bay are supposed to be covered by the suspension order from the President,” Pamalakaya Chairperson Fernando Hicap said.

“We reiterate that unless an official Executive Order or a legislation banning reclamation is issued, President Marcos Jr’s verbal declaration is toothless and holds little weight,” Hicap added.

According to the fisherfolks group, since dredging activities started two years ago, Cavite fishermen have lost between 80 to 90 percent of their daily income.

In addition to Pamalakaya, Advocates of Science and Technology for the People (AGHAM) claimed that sand-dredging vessels in Cavite could disturb benthic ecosystems in the seabed when supplying materials for Manila Bay reclamation projects. Despite the suspension order, groups claimed to have seen dredging ships off the coast of Cavite over the weekend.

According to a National Fisheries Research and Development study, Manila Bay’s northern and eastern regions, which are the focus of current dredging and reclamation projects, have a high biomass of fish eggs and larvae.

“The destruction of important fish nursery grounds along the coastal waters of Manila Bay will affect our fisheries production,” said Jerwin Baure, a registered fisheries technologist and public information officer of AGHAM.

“Therefore, the conservation and restoration of important coastal ecosystems should be prioritized in the government’s Manila Bay rehabilitation program,” he added.

Photo: Philippine News Agency