MANILA – The destructive reclamation in Manila Bay impacts no fewer than 50,000 fishers, according to Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya (Pamalakaya), who are demanding accountability from corporations and government agencies on the seventh year of the supposed rehabilitation program.

The Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program was launched in January 2019 and was touted as a whole-of-the-nation effort to clean up, rehabilitate, and preserve the vast body of water in fulfillment of the 2008 Mandamus Order of the Supreme Court.

The scope of the Manila Bay covers eight provinces and 187 local government units.

“The corporations involved in the large-scale destruction of the environment and the loss of fishermen’s livelihoods must be held accountable,” said Fernando Hicap, Pamalakaya’s national chairperson.

The group held a protest at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on January 19, dubbing the Manila Bay rehabilitationon its seventh year as “fake” for legitimizing large-scale reclamation and dredging that continue to destroy marine ecosystems.

The 50,000 affected fisherfolk only cover those registered in their respective local government units in Cavite, Navotas, Bulacan, and Bataan. Pamalakaya emphasized that the actual number could be higher since many fishers are also not registered.

Last year, UP Visayas Center for Integrative and Development Studies executive director Rosarie Arcala-Hall said that many subsistence or municipal fishers do not register.

The DENR itself declared that the 21 proposed and ongoing reclamation projects in Greater Metro Manila threaten marine systems, the livelihood of fishing communities, and worsen the flooding in urban centers.

The finding was based on the results of the 2024 cumulative impact assessment conducted by the Marine Environment and Resources Foundation, which the DENR commissioned.

“Reduced available fishing grounds, forcing fishers to travel greater distances in search of viable spots, which adds time, fuel costs, and financial strain to their daily operations, ultimately diminishing their income and increasing their vulnerability,” the highlight of the assessment reads.

Coastal residents and fisherfolk also reported ongoing “dump-and-fill” activities believed to be part of the 650-hectare Navotas Coastal Bay Reclamation Project by the local government and San Miguel Corp.

Cavite fishers also cited the presence of massive dredging vessels off the coasts of Bacoor City and Cavite City, which could result in irreversible damage to fisheries and marine biodiversity.

All these reclamation activities reportedly transpired despite the pronouncement of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to suspend all reclamation projects in Manila Bay in 2023.

“Above all, Marcos Jr. must be held responsible for allowing our fishing grounds to be opened up and destroyed for big business,” Hicap added, dubbing the suspension order as a lip service.

Environmental group Kalikasan, Pamalakaya, and other petitioners from various sectors filed petitions for a Writ of Kalikasan and a Writ of Continuing Mandamus in December 2024, to halt the reclamation and seabed activities in Manila Bay.

Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) is cited as a respondent of the petitions for its role in approving 13 reclamation projects surrounding Manila Bay, two of which are ongoing despite the moratorium.

DENR is also a respondent for approving at least 10 seabed quarry projects for utilization of marine sediment in Manila Bay for the construction of various reclamation projects including the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan.

In a statement, Kalikasan called the rehabilitation program “fraudulent” for allowing the expansion of reclamation projects despite the court order from the Supreme Court.

“Behind staged cleanups and media spectacles, the state has actively supported environmentally destructive projects, foremost of which are reclamation schemes,” the group said.

Among the projects that the group is referring to is San Miguel’ New Manila International Airport project.

Earth Journalism Network’s investigation in 2023 found that more than 200 reclamation projects have been proposed in Manila Bay with 26 having secured an environmental compliance certificate.

“While fecal coliform levels may show numerical reductions, the unchecked pollution and irreversible damage caused by reclamation projects persist, benefiting corporations while sacrificing fisherfolk, coastal communities, and future generations,” Kalikasan ended. (RTS, JDS)

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