CONSISTENT with the apprehensions over what was then referred to as an impending disaster waiting to happen, no less than Environment Sec. Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga confirmed that the Manila Bay Reclamation Project somehow contributed to the massive flooding in Metro Manila and adjoining regions.
During the Senate inquiry looking into the perennial flooding Sen. Joel Villanueva sought for an update about the impact assessment that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) was told to undertake, for which Yulo-Loyzaga made a categorical answer – that the land development at the Manila bay negatively affected natural waterways.
“In general, any change, geometrically, physically, in terms of infrastructure that’s introduced will change the way the bay behaves. Secondly, reclamation projects will slow down the flow of water and the change actually so far in our model runs, has been for the negative,” the DENR chief told the Senate committee on public works.
Aside from the sea behavior, Yulo-Loyzaga also took note of the change of the water quality. Hence, affecting the implementation of the Supreme Court’s 2008 mandamus order embarking on the need to rehabilitate and preserve Manila Bay.
“With the model runs that we are actually undertaking, there will be an ecological cost and economic cost to introducing anything into Manila Bay in relation to the implementation of mandamus ruling. The question that we now have in terms of the different scenarios that will be possible, is who will pay for that additional burden in terms of the achievement of the mandamus order,” she explained.
One of the most critical components in trying to address the environmental impacts of reclamation projects, she added, is to work and coordinate with the major stakeholders, including the private sector, alluding to the SM Group’s creation of a 400-meter channel between the seawall and the island near the Mall of Asia which they also own.
“They are implementing this now as part of an engineering solution to the issue of circulation,” the DENR chief said.
She also reported on a cohesive effort among various stakeholders, which include the San Miguel group, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and the local governments of Bulacan, Pampanga, Cavite and Navotas to address flooding at no cost to the government.
“There has been considerable impact of the dredging of the rivers by the private sector, specifically the San Miguel Group who have done so without charging the government,” she shared.
Several months ago, the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) and Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment filed a complaint with the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) and the DENR regarding the the ongoing reclamation and dredging operations in Manila Bay for which they sought for a relocation plan for communities affected by the land development. (ANGEL F. JOSE)
