MANILA — For years, fisherfolks and environmental defenders have been asserting that the reclamation projects in Manila Bay cause devastating impacts on the environment and the coastal communities.

Fishers group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) said that the results of the cumulative impact assessment of Manila Bay should prompt the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to “immediately and unconditionally” revoke the environmental permits of at least 22 reclamation projects in Manila Bay.

The DENR revealed that the assessment shows that the Manila Bay reclamation projects have no integration with flood management. The absence of the following measure could adversely affect the coastal communities situated in Manila Bay, spanning three regions, eight provinces, and 178 local government units (LGUs).

“The findings were no matter how the physical environment of Manila Bay changes, it will affect the circulation of water. So that means, not just the bay itself, but the outflow of water not just from the inland, and the drainage into the Manila Bay,” said Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga in an interview with PTV Philippines.

“There is already a strong basis to stop the reclamation in Manila Bay but the DENR continues to turn a blind eye,” said PAMALAKAYA Secretary General Salvador France in a press briefing.

In June 2023, DENR stressed the need for a cumulative impact assessment since there are several reclamation projects in a single ecosystem. For the assessment to materialize, the DENR commissioned the University of the Philippines Marine Science Institute (UP MSI) in August 2023 to conduct a comprehensive study on the cumulative impacts of reclamation activities. The study has not been publicized as of this writing.

Nearly 300,000 fisherfolks are negatively impacted by the reclamation projects as reported by PAMALAKAYA and environmental group Kalikasan in their petition for writ of kalikasan filed with the Supreme Court last year.

Kalikasan said that this belated recognition, forced by persistent public outcry, reveals the nature of environmental policies.

“The DENR’s recent acknowledgment of reclamation’s devastating impact on Manila Bay underscores a critical flaw in our current system: it heavily favors business interests over environmental and public welfare,” said Kalikasan in a statement.

There are 22 reclamation projects in Manila Bay suspended by president Ferdinand Marcos Jr on August 7, 2023. Shortly after, two of them were allowed to continue: the 265-hectare Pasay Harbor City Reclamation Project and the SM Prime Reclamation Project.

Read: Fishers urge release of Manila Bay environmental impact assessment

Both groups have also demanded immediate and fair compensation to the affected coastal communities, together with livelihood rehabilitation, for the economic losses and long-term impacts of the reclamation.

“The fight for Manila Bay, our environment, and the rights of communities is far from over. The people will not back down in the face of corporate greed and environmental destruction,” Kalikasan ended.