On Manila Bay white sand filling
“Completely absurd and highfaluting,” This was the reaction of the militant fishers group PAMALAKAYA on Thursday, on the plan to fill the 500-meter stretch of the baywalk with white sand, purportedly as part of Manila Bay’s rehabilitation efforts.
In a statement, PAMALAKAYA slammed what it called as “artificial rehabilitation focusing on aesthetic appearance rather than addressing the environmental degradation problems” of Manila Bay.
“The DENR doesn’t have any concrete plan to restore the bay that it resorts to focus on external beautification which is actually a sham and artificial, instead of a genuine rehabilitation,” Fernando Hicap, PAMALAKAYA National Chairperson said in a statement.
“Filling of white sand would less likely contribute to the rehabilitation and restoration of the degrading Manila Bay,” Hicap asserted.
Instead, the fishers group calls for restoration of mangrove areas that were destroyed due to destructive conversion projects.
“Why invest in white sand when you can plant mangrove forests and sea grasses that would restore and balance its marine ecosystem? Moreover, destructive projects such as massive reclamation and conversion of fishing grounds must stop. No amount of white sand and external beauty can restore Manila Bay if such destructive projects are going through. Worse, DENR has approved destructive reclamation projects in Bacoor City and Bulakan town, where in the latter, mangrove forest was cut down and local crab production is now threatened,” he ended. ###
