Saying that Las Piñas City may go under water due to about eight meters (equivalent to a three-storey building) floodwater, Senator Cynthia A. Villar asked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to stop the 944-hectare reclamation project in Bacoor, Cavite.
The Bacoor local govenrment partnered with Frabelle Fishing Corp. and Aboitiz for the reclamation project. The plan was among the 22 Manila Bay reclamation projects being processed by the Philippine Reclamation Authority.
Aside from the massive flooding that will submerge houses in Las Piñas, Villar also cited its threat to the Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park, a protected area under the Republic Act 11038 which expanded the National Integrated Protected Areas System.
She said the proposed Bacoor reclamation project will bring about catastrophic damages, including damages to LPPCHEA, which serves as a sanctuary to migratory bird species from as far as Siberia as to the mangrove forest and marine habitat.
“But how do you protect the wetland park if there would be a reclamation project in front of it?” Villar asked.
In the Senate finance subcommittee B deliberation on the DENR’s P25.5-billion proposed 2020 budget, Villar quizzed DENR officials for entertaining the Bacoor reclamation project.
“Why are you entertaining that? What’s your reason for entertaining that Bacoor reclamation?” she asked.
Villar, who chairs the Senate environment and natural resources committee, said she had worked hard for the declaration of the LPPCHEA as a protected area.
She also cited the petitions she filed before the Supreme Court to stop reclamation projects in the area.
“You want me to go file a petition for Writ of Kalikasan, and you want me to do this again, after spending almost 10 years to stop reclamation, now you are going to do another reclamation in front of us?” she asked.
After being warned by former Public Works Secretary Rogelio Singson that the reclamation will cause flooding in her bailiwick Las Piñas City, Villar said she led the initiative to stop the project.
She also recalled Singson telling her that “there’s no three-storey house in Las Pinas.” Now you will submerge us, including me, in floods?”
Villar noted how reclamation projects caused the spike in land values, citing, for instance, the high property prices within the reclaimed Manila Bay area. She said this would mean making the rich richer and you will drown the poor in floods? That is not right.”
“The rich people should take care of the poor people. It’s not the poor people suffering to make people rich. Stop that project. Our people will be placed in a pitiful situation,” she told DENR officials,.
DENR’s Environmental Management Bureau director Metodio Turbella acceded to Villar’s request and assured her that he will immediately cancel the permit for the reclamation project.
“We’ll take note of that. In fact, I talked to the Undersecretary [Jonas] Leones, including the good (DENR) Secretary to immediately cancel that schedule for that purpose,” said Turbella.
Villar said kept quiet when people approached her to help stop the reclamation project in Bulacan for the construction of an airport there because she did not want to be accused she was going against the project because of its proponent, businessman tycoon Ramon Ang.
“But my God, do not reclaim in my front. We have trouble,” she said,
“Hindi naman ako papayag d’yan. Mag-aaway lang tayo, tigilan n’yo na ‘yan . Tigilan na ‘yan. Mag-reclamation kayo sa ibang lugar but not in Las Piñas, and in front of Las Piñas, hindi talaga ako papayag d’yan,” she added.
The DENR said developers should secure area and environmental clearances before reclamation projects are approved by the PRA.