Filipino fishers group marked the seventh year of the government’s Manila Bay rehabilitation with a protest at the Department of Environment and Natural Resources on Jan. 19.
The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) called for accountability for reclamation and dredging projects, which it said continue to damage marine ecosystems and livelihoods.
The group said the rehabilitation program has enabled large-scale reclamation and dredging projects that worsen flooding in Metro Manila and deprive thousands of fisherfolk of their income.
The group criticized President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s 2023 order suspending reclamation projects, calling it “mere lip service” as operations continue across Manila Bay.
In Navotas City, fisherfolk and coastal residents reported ongoing “dump-and-fill” activities believed to be part of the 650-hectare Navotas Coastal Bay Reclamation Project involving San Miguel Corporation and the local government.
Fisherfolk in Cavite also cited the presence of massive dredging vessels off the coasts of Bacoor City and Cavite City, raising fears of irreversible damage to fisheries and marine biodiversity.
“Dapat managot ang mga korporasyong sangkot sa malawakang pagkasira ng kalikasan at pagkawala ng kabuhayan ng mga mangingisda. Higit sa lahat, dapat panagutin si Marcos Jr. sa pagpayag nitong ibuyangyang at wasakin ang aming mga pangisdaan para sa malalaking negosyo,” said Fernando Hicap, national chairperson of PAMALAKAYA.
The group reiterated its call for the cancellation of all reclamation and dredging projects in Manila Bay and other parts of the country, saying genuine rehabilitation is not possible while destructive land conversion projects continue.
