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DENR wants to slow down Manila Bay reclamation sans impact study

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Vivienne Gulla and Job Manahan, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="Fishermen from Cavite, Las Piñas, Parañaque, Navotas, and Bulacan conduct a fluvial protest, calling for their welfare and livelihood amid an ongoing reclamation project happening in front of the Philippine Senate in Pasay City on February 28, 2023. Fisherfolk slammed the ongoing reclamation project in Manila Bay citing its impact to their livelihood and called for genuine rehabilitation of Manila Bay. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/news/08/04/20230228-manila-bay-reclamation-md-11.jpg"/><figcaption>Fishermen from Cavite, Las Piñas, Parañaque, Navotas, and Bulacan conduct a fluvial protest, calling for their welfare and livelihood amid an ongoing reclamation project happening in front of the Philippine Senate in Pasay City on February 28, 2023. Fisherfolk slammed the ongoing reclamation project in Manila Bay citing its impact to their livelihood and called for genuine rehabilitation of Manila Bay. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News</figcaption></figure></div>MANILA — The environment department on Friday wants &quot;much caution&quot; in reclamation activities in the Manila Bay pending the result of the cumulative impact assessment. Environment Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga said her agency is crafting a recommendation on the reclamation projects in Manila Bay as the impact assessment is underway. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/06/27/23/denr-probes-potential-violations-in-manila-bay-reclamation">DENR probes potential violations in Manila Bay reclamation</a></li></ul>Loyzaga earlier told Palace reporters the team composed of predominantly-Filipino scientists that will conduct the review is set to be formed this month.&quot;This process can take some time. So what we are saying here is that the concern really would be to see whether we could basically, maybe halt, minimize activities muna, hanggang matapos itong cumulative impact assessment,” she told reporters. “Until we can get a very good sense of what scientifically is going to happen in this areas, and until we can get a very good sense of how the rule of law can be followed in this area, we want to proceed with much caution,” she added. The DENR chief noted that new reclamation activities along Manila Bay will hinder the government from complying with the Supreme Court mandamus that ordered agencies, including the DENR, to “clean up, rehabilitate, and preserve Manila Bay.&quot; The mandamus also includes restoring and maintaining its waters to be fit for swimming, skin-diving, and other forms of contact recreation.“Hindi ito mape-perform kung may mga introduction of new structures at bay,” she said.“Our job at the DENR is to say, &#x27;sandali lang po, nagko-comply ba ito? Ecologically sound pa ba ito?&#x27; And there are laws in place, plus the mandamus order, which we need to implement. &#x27;Yan ang challenge namin ngayon,” she added.The United States government previously <a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/01/23/us-embassy-flags-chinese-firm-in-manila-bay-reclamation">expressed concern</a> over the “potential negative long-term and irreversible impacts to the environment, the resilience to natural hazards of Manila and nearby areas, and to commerce” of the reclamation projects in Manila Bay.The DENR took note of this, said Loyzaga, who urged the US Embassy to formalize the complaint. They were also concerned about the potential flood risk, she said. Senate Committee on Environment and Natural Resources Chairperson Senator Cynthia Villar, meanwhile, backed the conduct of an environmental impact study on the reclamation activities at Manila Bay.“Nangako na sa’kin ‘yung DENR na nag-i-isstudy sila to see ano talaga kasi binigyan ng ECC na wala namang study, and the secretary then was not Sec.Loyzaga,&quot; said Villar. &quot;So give a chance to Sec. Loyzaga to study. May power naman kayo to change ‘yung ECC, kung makikita na environmentally not correct yung binigyan ng ECC,” she said.<div>STOP RECLAMATION PROJECTS: OCEANA</div>Environment group Oceana, for its part, urged the DENR to stop the reclamation activities in Manila Bay pending the cumulative impact assessment. As of February this year, the Philippine Reclamation Authority listed 52 reclamation projects in Manila Bay. Oceana Acting Vice President Rose Liza Eisma-Osorio said the reclamation activities&#x27; impact to the environment and fisherfolk there is &quot;simply unjust and unacceptable.&quot; “Time is of the essence. The DENR cannot be reviewing all these projects without exercising precaution,&quot; Osorio said. &quot;It is clear that these projects have already started, and resulted to an alarming degradation of the environment destroying the mangroves, denying fisherfolk of their fishing livelihood and sources of food, and the destruction of seagrass and the seabed by dredging, thus impeding better habitats and spawning grounds of fisheries resources,&quot; she added. Oceana said these activities must be reviewed and monitored thoroughly to find out its risks to the environment, culture, and people&#x27;s health. &quot;Anyone who violates environmental impact assessment laws and regulations that are already in place faces administrative, civil, or criminal sanctions,&quot; Osorio said. &quot;It is even more disheartening to see our coastal communities, particularly the artisanal fisherfolk and their families being displaced from their food and livelihood even before the project was approved,” she added. Oceana also welcomed the United States Embassy&#x27;s position.DENR this week told firms to also consider the &quot;Big One&quot; and the threat of tsunamis in their reclamation projects, as the agency undertakes a cumulative impact assessment. <ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/08/02/23/the-big-one-tsunamis-must-be-considered-in-reclamation-denr">The &#x27;big one,&#x27; tsunami threat must be considered in reclamation projects: DENR</a></li></ul>Loyzaga said sea level rise and various geological events &quot;needs to be considered&quot; when it comes to reclamation. <figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2745065" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

The environment department on Friday wants 'much caution' in reclamation activities in the Manila Bay pending the result of the cumulative impact assessment. 

DENR wants to slow down Manila Bay reclamation sans impact study

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DENR wants to slow down Manila Bay reclamation sans impact study

Vivienne Gulla and Job Manahan,

ABS-CBN News

Published August 04, 2023 06:35 PM PHT

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Department of Environment and Natural Resources

DENR

Manila Bay

reclamation

US Embassy

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