Reclamation a serious threat to Manila Bay

Phase 1 of impact assessment out; suspension of 19 projects stays

- By JEL SANTOS

All 19 reclamation projects in Manila Bay that were suspended by President Marcos in 2023 remain on hold after Phase 1 of the Cumulative Impact Assessment (CIA) revealed that they pose serious threats, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) said on Wednesday, April 30.

It was recalled that two of the 21 reclamation projects in Manila Bay were allowed to continue, as they had already been reviewed, according to the Chief Executive.

Environment Secretary Maria Antonia “Toni” Yulo-Loyzaga said the agency is still assessing the projects and has yet to decide whether any of them will eventually be canceled or allowed to proceed.

“At this point, we are evaluating all projects to see how in fact they will be able to reach the impacts that we would like to actually have happened given their proposal,” Loyzaga said during a press briefing in Quezon City.

Serious threats to Manila Bay

Phase 1 of the CIA, conducted with the help of the Marine Environment and Resources Foundation (MERF), revealed that reclamation poses serious threats to Manila Bay’s already fragile ecosystem.

“Despite many decades of extreme environmental pressure, Manila Bay is still alive,” said marine oceanographer Charina Lyn Repollo of MERF.

However, she warned that the bay is at a critical point.