Oppose Bacoor reclamation; restore Cavite as ‘Manila’s Food Basket’ – Group to Remulla
Manila, Philippines – “We are calling on Governor Remulla to categorically oppose the Bacoor reclamation project to preserve the thriving marine biodiversity in the province,” According to the militant fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) on Friday, appealing to Cavite Governor Juanito Victor ‘Jonvic’ Remulla Jr. to reject the 420-hectare reclamation project being proposed by the local government of Bacoor City in Manila Bay.
In a statement, PAMALAKAYA National Chairperson and former Anakpawis Party-list legislator Fernando Hicap urged Governor Remulla to restrain the ‘sinister plan’ of Bacoor City Mayor Lani Mercado-Revilla to ‘destroy the fishing industry in her town and demolish thousands of fisherfolk and coastal residents’.
“Protagonist in movies yet villain in real life are how we see Mayor Mercado-Revilla for threatening the lives and livelihood of her constituents by pushing the destructive reclamation project. Thus we are calling the Cavite provincial government to intervene and stop this project to protect thousands of Cavitenos who stand to lose their houses and livelihood,” Hicap, a resident fisherman in Rosario, Cavite, said.
The group also urged the Cavite Governor to maintain and protect the marine biodiversity of Cavite, citing the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)’s Ecosystems Research and Development Bureau (ERDB) report and discovery of live coral covers in the southern part of Manila Bay. The report also claimed that 72% of estimated reef area in Manila Bay is found in Cavite.
“The thriving coral reefs discovered in south Manila Bay must be preserved and protected at all cost. Governor Remulla’s thrust towards provincial development should be to regain its former stature as ‘food basket of Manila’ by developing the agriculture and fisheries industry,” ended Hicap. ###
