ToursPh|Oceana welcomes President Duterte’s ban on reclamation in Manila Bay|International non-government organization, Oceana supports President Rodrigo Duterte’s decision not to allow reclamation projects in Manila Bay.
“We take it as a presidential signal to stop the construction of the proposed international airport, a reclamation project in Bulacan, which is part of the Manila Bay. The project will inflict huge damage in the fisheries, marine environment and livelihoods not just in Bulacan, but also in Pampanga and parts of Metro Manila,” Oceana Vice President Gloria Estenzo Ramos said.
“Science experts have raised concerns on the reported international airport project in Bulacan as it will destroy the mangroves and wetlands that are breeding grounds of fish and habitat of larvae of fishes and other seafood that thousands of fisherfolk and coastal communities depend on for their livelihood,” Ramos added.
In an interview with ABSCBN, the President Duterte said he was not ready to approve any reclamation project if there was no concrete plan showing how the environment would be protected.
Oceana, together with partners from NICHE and civil society and the private sectors, opposes the illegal dumping and filling of Manila Bay’s coastline because of the irreversible damage it brings on one of the Philippines’ major marine ecosystems.
Oceana is a member of the People’s Network for the Integrity of Coastal Habitats and Ecosystems (People’s NICHE), an alliance calling for the restoration, instead of reclamation, of the coastal waters of Manila Bay and other areas targeted for reclamation developments under the National Reclamation Plan.
“Many are concerned about the reported groundbreaking for the proposed international airport in Bulacan. Improving and increasing the area of protected habitats (intertidal mudflats, mangroves, coral) is even part of the National Economic and Development Authority’s (NEDA) Manila Bay Sustainable Development Master Plan. If we are to walk the talk in protecting Manila Bay and restore the marine life there, the government has to stop the planned reclamation projects in Bulacan and other areas targeted for reclamation under the National Reclamation Plan,” said Ramos.
The government’s own study from the National Fisheries and Research Development Institute (NFRDI) shows that Manila Bay is a premier fishing ground for sardines, mackerel, mullet (banak), threadfin, bream (bisugo), squid (posit), blue crab, round scad (galunggong), and fusilier (dalagang bukid).
Oceana is an international advocacy organization dedicated to protecting the world’s oceans. Since 2014, Oceana has been working closely with national and local government agencies and stakeholders to restore the abundance of Philippine fisheries and marine resources.
