MANILA— Congress should investigate large-scale land reclamation projects for the threats they pose to coastal and marine ecosystems around the country, opposition Sen. Leila de Lima said Saturday.
The resolution quoted a position paper by Oceana, a nonprofit ocean conservation organization, which said reclamation projects “hide behind the promise of economic progress and infrastructure development," but do so at the expense of the environment, which also compromise the socio-economic welfare and livelihood of marginalized Filipinos.
De Lima also cited projects in Cebu, including a 230-hectare reclamation in Consolacion, a 100-hectare reclamation in Minglanilla, and a 126-hectare reclamation project in Mandaue City. "It should not be a very small matter to just show the map and not consider this very, very large impact not only to the environment but also to the economy and the livelihood of the people. Of course, there will be displacement of settlements, fishing grounds, flooding and environmental damage," Tapang said in a press release in 2014.
And prior to plans of reclamation, has there been extensive dialogue and consultation with stakeholders, the residents and communities of the area? From the start there should first be town hall meetings with the people.