Groups reiterated the call to end reclamation and dredging activities in Manila Bay in a gathering April 20 in the coastal areas of Navotas City where 1,000 fisherfolk families were reportedly affected by the demolition of mussel farms attributed to the proposed Navotas Bay Coastal Reclamation Project.
“The sea is getting smaller for us,” Bohol said. “We are being demolished, our homes set on fire. I wish my child would be able to find another means of living [when he grows up].” – Gilbert Bohol
There is probably no question that the Duterte government‘s 2017-2022 plan to clean up and rehabilitate the gravely polluted Manila Bay, at the cost of P43 billion, is a most welcome, although much-delayed, development. Much-delayed because it was in 2008 that the Supreme Court granted the petition for a writ of continuing mandamus filed —…
A reclamation project threatens to bring loss of livelihood and homes to Navotas fisherfolk.
By MARYA SALAMAT
“Further reclamation of Manila Bay will greatly endanger the fragile marine ecosystem which contributes to food production and mitigates the disastrous effects of calamities and floods in nearby areas.” – People’s Network for the Integrity of Coastal Habitats and Ecosystems
Read also: Fishers, experts call for 10-year moratorium on reclamation
South Manila residents oppose reclamation project (Photo by Ronalyn V. Olea)