[Manila Bulletin] PAMALAKAYA calls on fishermen to stay vigilant against Manila Bay reclamation projects

PAMALAKAYA calls on fishermen to stay vigilant against Manila Bay reclamation projects
Published October 1, 2019, 7:24 PM
By Joseph Almer Pedrajas

Several members of the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) have called on fishermen and residents affected by a stalled reclamation project on the Manila Bay to “remain vigilant” on any activities that will be conducted on the coastal water.

(Photo from Pamalakaya Pilipinas Facebook profile)
(Photo from Pamalakaya Pilipinas Facebook profile)

Although the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) had earlier expressed opposition against the said project, protesters from a municipal chapter of PAMALAKAYA still took to the streets of Bacoor, Cavite, asking concerned individuals to keep an eye on their areas.

A 944-hectare reclamation project was proposed on the coastal waters of Bacoor, but its construction was halted as the DENR did not issue an environmental compliance certificate.

It was due to its environmental implications and socio-economic impacts on the coastal residents, PAMALAKAYA said in a statement.

More than 700 fishing and coastal families would be affected once the reclamation project would push through, said the group’s municipal chapter spokesperson, Myrna Candinato.

Candinato, who owns a mussel farm in Bacoor, claimed that some families would be unfavorably affected by the project as they would be relocated in “far-flung” areas where there is no source of livelihood nearby.

Candinato also expressed hopes that the DENR would file a formal letter about its opposition against the said project, so that they would have a legal basis on their fight.

She also vowed that the group would “not rest until the said reclamation project [would] be totally scrapped.”

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