AS EARLY AS October 2023, Senator Cynthia Villar, chair of the natural resources, environment and climate change committee, warned that Manila Bay faces peril from reclamation projects that disrupt water flow, trap pollutants and negatively impact fisheries, ecosystems and biodiversity, potentially leading to public health issues and economic disruption.
But it’s only now that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources said it would tighten the rules on issuing environmental compliance certificates (ECC) following the release of the Manila Bay Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) result that revealed severe environmental threats, the Philippine News Agency reported.
Results of the impact assessment presented at the DENR central office, Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo Loyzaga said Manila Bay’s case will be continuously reviewed to include all ECCs and area clearances issued and those still being applied for with local governments to determine if concerns that have emerged from the assessment have already been addressed.
“There is in the ECC a section that will allow us to modify any approval that has been granted, and we take that section very seriously in light of the results of the CIA Phase 1,” Loyzaga said.
PRESSURE ON THE ENVIRONMENT
The CIA, conducted by the Marine Environment and Resources Foundation (MERF), showed that the ecosystem of the Manila Bay is still alive and vibrant but it also revealed that the 21 proposed and ongoing reclamation projects in Greater Metro Manila could threaten marine ecosystems and fishermen’s livelihood, and worsen flooding in urban centers.
The CIA said the proposed reclamation projects, though they will create 6,166 hectares of new lands, are projected to create pressure on the environment equivalent to nearly four new central business districts (CBDs).
Their impact on water quality can significantly disrupt the natural circulation of water in the Manila Bay, causing water stagnation and altering currents, which could lead to increased flooding in Metro Manila and nearby provinces.
“Reclamation doesn’t just affect the area. It also worsens flooding on land, especially in low-lying areas,” Charina Lyn Repollo, MERF Deputy Director for Research, said in her presentation of the assessment result.
WATER WILL FLOW
Repollo said that in low-lying areas of Metro Manila, reclamation may relieve the flashing of flood water and increase both coastal and inland flooding, most especially during heavy rains or typhoons when timely drainage is difficult.
“By blocking the natural path for water to flow out into the bay, these reclamation projects would have deeper, longer-lasting and more damaging impact, putting communities, infrastructure, and lives at greater risk,” she added.
The report also showed that the projected buildup of nutrients, sediments, and pollutants, aggravated by blocked circulation, will worsen hypoxia or oxygen depletion, which would harm aquatic life and increase the likelihood of harmful algal blooms (HABs) that cause shellfish poisoning.
[I] n low-lying areas of Metro Manila, reclamation may relieve the flashing of flood water and increase both coastal and inland flooding, most especially during heavy rains or typhoons when timely drainage is difficult.
DIRECT RISKS TO MEN
On public health, the degraded water conditions also pose direct risks to human health, and may cause an increase in gastroenteritis, skin diseases, and respiratory infections, especially among coastal populations.
The MERF reports show that the construction of large coastal structures and alterations to the coastline weaken water movement, resulting in stagnation and the buildup of sediments, pollutants, and debris in specific areas.
The impact on fisheries and ecosystems is even worse as it reduces available fishing grounds, diminishing income for the fishers, and increasing their vulnerability, the report said.
“The loss of mangroves not only threatens marine biodiversity but also diminishes natural coastal defenses, increasing the susceptibility of nearby communities to storm surge and coastal erosion,” the report read.
Loyzaga warned that the destruction of these ecosystems is not only ecologically unsound, but also economically and socially unjust.
Loyzaga said the CIA was submitted to President Marcos Jr. and that he has given his approval to share the result with relevant government agencies. The President, she noted, was too concerned about the impact on the livelihood of fishermen and fishing communities and the environmental quality, should people get sick. He is also looking at what the infrastructure will deliver in economic terms.
SOCIAL IMPACT
Loyzaga said the study calls for regular monitoring of water quality and shellfish safety to safeguard fisheries and public health, urging that project proponents be held accountable for their actions as Metro Manila faces the ramifications of further reclamations.
She said monitoring systems and methods and enhanced flood modeling, will be part of Phase 2 of the MERF study.
“As Manila Bay is alive, LGUs need to take into consideration the social impacts, the cultural, legal, and ecological considerations in their development goals,” she said.
“The local government units need to integrate the reclamation projects into their water quality and water sourcing plans, their traffic and mobility plans, their solid waste management systems, their flood management systems, their disaster risks and climate change risk management plans.”
DENR is coordinating with the Public Reclamation Authority.
METRO MANILA MAY SINK
Two years ago, Villar said she worries that Metro Manila may sink if reclamation projects are not halted. “It seems like they don’t believe that there is a possibility that Metro Manila may sink but Jakarta (the capital of Indonesia) is sinking at an alarming rate due to the over-extraction of groundwater, she said citing reports.
With the rising sea level and reclamation projects in Manila Bay, what happened to Jakarta is a possibility in the National Capital Region (NCR), Villar said.
The Senate panel was reviewing the DENR’s issuance of reclamation permits and ECCs.
In August 2023, President Marcos ordered the suspension of 22 reclamation projects in Manila Bay to review their compliance with environmental regulations.