The 76.4 billion pesos Cebu-Mactan 4th bridge and coastal road project in the central Philippines province of Cebu is set to be constructed in 2025, but residents fear the damage will cost more to their livelihood and the mangroves.
The infrastructure project, supported by a 57.6-billion-peso loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), aims to alleviate traffic congestion in Metro Cebu. According to Benjamin Bautista of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), the bridge will serve as an alternative route for motorists traveling from Mandaue City and Consolacion to Lapu-Lapu City.
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) conducted by JICA indicates minimal environmental impact on the biodiversity of Cansaga Bay. However, residents of Paknaan village claim that the proposed road and bridge project is one of many developments in Cebu causing environmental degradation and displacing families along Cansaga Bay.
Diminishing Mangrove Cover & Declining Fisheries
Behind Ramil Gitgano’s house lies a mangrove forest teeming with birds. Gitgano, 49, has lived along Cansaga Bay his entire life. His grandfather and father were fishermen, and Ramil himself once enjoyed catching fish during low tide. However, he has since stopped venturing out to fish in the bay.
“Where are the fishes? There was plenty of fish crawling in the mud,” Ramil recalled the bountiful catch they made before the reclamation projects in Cansaga Bay started. Now, it has become difficult to look for fish.
Ramil Gitgano prepares a boat parked in the mangrove forest behind his house. Photo by Kathleen Lei Limayo.
The fisherfolk community has witnessed drastic changes in the bay. According to Gitgano, the reclamation projects have negatively impacted the bay, particularly the fisheries. Over the years, they have seen a decline in their usual catch of bisugo and danggit. In the past, during low tide, fish and large crabs easily emerged from the mud. The fisherfolk fear the road and bridge project will decrease the resources they gather from the bay even more.
The mangrove forest that shields Gitgano’s community from flooding is also under threat. The Cebu-Mactan 4th Bridge and Coastal Road Project is set to impact the internationally recognized Mactan, Kalawisan, and Cansaga Bay Key Biodiversity Area (KBA). According to JICA’s EIA, the project will result in the removal of 700 mangrove trees and 800 terrestrial trees in the villages of Paknaan and Umapad.
Globally, mangrove cover has declined by 1.04 million hectares between 1990 and 2020. According to the Global Mangrove Watch, the estimated global mangrove habitat in 2020 was 14,735,899 hectares, reflecting a steady decrease over the past decades.
The global decline in mangrove forests is mirrored in the Philippines. From 1996 to 2020, the country’s mangrove cover decreased by 2.7%, equivalent to a loss of 7,943.19 hectares over more than two decades. Similarly, Cebu experienced a significant decline, with mangrove cover shrinking by 25.42% between 1990 and 2010.
According to a report by Conservation International Philippines, the Mactan, Kalawisan, and Cansaga Bay Key Biodiversity Area (KBA) faces several threats, including the reclamation of intertidal areas, oil spills, and industrial activities.
Where will the birds perch?
The KBA is also designated as an Important Bird Area (IBA) by BirdLife International. Cansaga Bay serves as a vital habitat for birds, providing refuge in its mangroves for migratory species traveling from the northern Philippines and as far as China.
“It is easy for birds to forage in or to sleep, but for birds to mate, reproduce, raise young… I think Cansaga Bay is one of the few last places those birds can carry out those basic life functions, especially in the Metro Cebu area.”
According to Kurt Cabahug, a bird watcher and member of the Cebu Birding Community, the road and bridge project will impact the bird habitats in Cansaga Bay. “As Cebu gets more industrialized, even for non-endangered species, it’s simply getting harder and harder for birds to find stable sites just for them to migrate to and live at peace.”
Bird sightings in the area have significantly dwindled compared to previous years. Cabahug attributes this decline in the bird population sheltering in the wetlands to the ongoing reclamation projects along Cansaga Bay.
“Mangroves serve as nurseries for different species of animals.” According to Dr. Annadel Cabanban, a marine scientist and Head of Office at Wetlands International Philippines, wetlands are home to rich biodiversity where flora and fauna form interconnected ecosystems. She highlights that invertebrates such as oysters and clams thrive within the substrate of mangroves, playing vital roles in these habitats.
Birds nesting in wetlands rely on invertebrates inhabiting mudflats as a primary food source. The removal of mangroves and mudflats would deprive both local and migratory birds of essential food and shelter, threatening their survival.
Cabanban warns of the adverse effects infrastructure projects could have on the marine ecosystem in Cansaga Bay. She explains that alterations in water flow and tidal movements caused by such developments will negatively impact the bay’s biodiversity.
The delicate interconnection between wetlands, birds, and fisheries is under threat due to increasing reclamation and infrastructure projects that destroy mangroves and mudflats. The Philippines is home to 595 bird species, 91 of which are classified as globally threatened by the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN).
According to bird sightings recorded on eBird, a crowd-sourced platform, 55 bird species have been identified in the Mactan, Kalawisan, and Cansaga Bay KBA. Among these, two species are classified as globally threatened: the Far Eastern Curlew, listed as endangered, and the Chinese Egret, categorized as vulnerable. Additionally, the gray-tailed Tattler, a near-threatened species, is also found in the KBA.
The bird survey conducted by JICA as part of the EIA for the project concludes that the disruption to bird habitats will be minimal. However, Jon Villegas, a birdwatcher and physical geographer, challenges the survey’s accuracy. He points out that the JICA study is not longitudinal and is limited to specific locations in Cansaga Bay. Villegas emphasizes that bird surveys should span an entire year to adequately capture data during migratory seasons.
Displacing Households & Ambiguous EIA
Aside from declining fisheries, Ramil Gitgano faces an even bigger problem: displacement. One of the foundations of the Cebu-Mactan 4th Bridge is set to be built directly on the site of his house. This will mark the second displacement for the Gitgano family. This time, he fears the relocation will be unjust and inadequate to cover the value of his home.
“I hope the relocation site is not far from Paknaan,” said Seña Padayao, 49, a resident of Zone Ahos in Barangay Paknaan. She shared that JICA staff informed her that her family would be compensated for the damages to her house. Padayao attended two meetings with JICA staff in 2022 and 2023 but has yet to receive any final updates about their relocation or the total amount of compensation.
“How can our house not be affected when the foundation is just in front of it?” asked Jake Barrientos, a resident and community organizer from Kilusan para sa Pambansang Demokrasya Cebu, who will be impacted by the infrastructure project. Barrientos also questions the accuracy of the EIA, pointing out that the number of affected families listed in the survey appears to be understated.
Protect wetlands for biodiversity and climate
“Mangroves can coexist with infrastructure projects as long as there is water,” Dr. Cabanban emphasized. She suggested that projects should be redesigned to avoid mangroves and maintain a 100-meter greenbelt along the coast to mitigate biodiversity loss. “Proponents of infrastructure projects must offset and compensate for the damages caused to wetlands,” she added.
Wetlands play a crucial role in climate mitigation. According to Dr. Cabanban, wetlands such as mangroves are highly effective at sequestering large amounts of carbon from the atmosphere.
Additionally, mangroves contribute to climate change adaptation by acting as natural buffers, reducing the impact of sea level rise on coastlines. Wetlands also help mitigate the effects of storm surges, providing critical protection for coastal communities.
The Philippines is a signatory to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands, established in 1971, which encourages member countries to conserve and protect wetlands. Additionally, the DENR Administrative Order No. 15 mandates the establishment of mangrove buffer zones measuring 50 meters in width along coastlines and 20 meters on both sides of river channels and banks.
To safeguard mangroves and mudflats from degradation and illegal cutting, Wetlands International Philippines is advocating for the passage of the National Coastal Greenbelt Act of 2022, which is still under deliberation in the Senate. Enacting government policies to protect mangroves would help mitigate risks to wetlands, ensuring their biodiversity remains intact for both birds and people.
The increasing debt burden of Filipinos
Infrastructure projects are causing environmental damage and adding to the debt burden of Filipinos, according to Rovik Obanil of the Freedom from Debt Coalition (FDC).
The 57.6-billion-peso financing for the Cebu-Mactan 4th Bridge and Coastal Road Project will be sourced from an Official Development Assistance (ODA) loan provided by JICA. This bridge and road project is part of the Master Plan Study and Institutional Development on Urban Transport System in Metro Cebu, conducted by JICA in 2019.
According to data from the Bureau of the Treasury, the Philippines’ external loans increased by 170.8 billion pesos in August 2024 compared to the same month in the previous year. As of August 2024, the national government debt stands at 15.55 trillion pesos, with 4.76 trillion pesos attributed to external loans.
The Philippines’ current debt-to-gross domestic product (GDP) ratio is 69%, exceeding the international threshold for loans, according to Obanil. He adds that increasing debt is unsustainable, as there is no guarantee that the Philippine economy can outpace its growing debt.
Obanil warns that a budget deficit could impact the government’s ability to provide social services. He adds that additional taxes might be imposed to boost national revenues.
“Aid provided to the Philippines should not push the Filipinos into further debt.”
- Rovik Obanil
From 2014 to 2023, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and Japan collectively provided $11.64 billion to the Philippines. Of this amount, Japan contributed $8.21 billion to fund seven infrastructure projects in the country.
Among the top ten infrastructure loan projects from 2014 to 2023, the JICA-funded Cebu-Mactan 4th Bridge and Coastal Road Project ranks as the sixth most expensive infrastructure project in the Philippines.
The Freedom from Debt Coalition has been advocating for debt audits to identify illegitimate loans incurred by the government. According to Obanil, loans are deemed illegitimate if they cause environmental damage, displace communities, violate human rights, or are tainted by corruption. He stresses that the government must be accountable to the people for the loans it takes, stating, “The Philippines should not pay for illegitimate loans.”
Before acquiring additional loans, Barrientos urges the government to prioritize proper urban planning and address issues in existing road projects to ensure that current infrastructure serves the needs of the people effectively.
“True development can be seen from the people. Not from infrastructures… physical development of a city. Development should manifest in the people. In their livelihoods and communities.”
Fisherfolk like Gitgano, along with the rest of the Filipino population, will continue to bear the burden of repaying loans incurred by the government. As the Philippines’ external debt continues to increase, the Freedom from Debt Coalition urges the government to ensure that communities affected by loan-funded projects have access to basic services, are provided with proper relocation, and receive fair compensation.
This story was supported by the Media Action for Sustainable Infrastructure in the Philippines (MASIP) – Data-driven Reporting on Foreign-Funded Infrastructure Development in the Philippines, a project of the Earth Journalism Network.
Methodology:
The following data were sourced, scraped, and analyzed for this story:
- National Government Debt as of August 2024
- Mangrove cover in the Philippines (1996 to 2020) from Global Mangrove Watch
- Cebu province mangrove cover (1990-2010) from Coastal Education & Research Foundation Inc.
- The Philippines’ GDP-to-debt ratio from 2014-2022 from the International Monetary Fund
- Bird Species in the Philippines from BirdLife International
