[Vantage Point] Is the Manila Bay reclamation project good for the economy and environment?

The ugly sight and noise of a reclamation project being undertaken by China Communications Construction Company just outside its perimeter must be terribly infuriating for the United States Embassy, considering that the firm has been blacklisted by the US Department of Commerce. The embassy expressed its concern to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., who immediately ordered the suspension of 22 reclamation projects in Manila Bay on August 7.

No reclamation project would be allowed pending a government review of the projects’ environmental and social impacts, according to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The reclamation sites, after all, are an important fishing ground and hub of economic activities.

DENR chief Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga said her office has to take its time, “starting with those that are ongoing because they’re in fact already impacting areas and we’ll graduate to those that have yet to begin.” 

Organizations under People’s Network for the Integrity of Coastal Habitats and Ecosystems lauded the move, but pressed the government to perpetually stop reclamation projects.  “These would imperil our food security, and violate our constitutional rights to a balanced and healthful ecology and the rights of fishers,” Oceana Philippines acting vice president Rose Liza Eisma-Osorio was quoted in a newspaper as saying. The groups also called on the Marcos government to issue a written order that will give teeth to his pronouncement. 

Bad for business?

But the prolonged suspension of the Manila Bay Reclamation – composed of several projects being undertaken by different companies – is not helping any groups or individuals who have a stake in it. It is not making things easy for the corporations, which are losing millions of pesos for each day of inactivity, or for the environmental activists, sincere as they may be in their opposition.

A total of 10,000 hectares of land, stretching from Navotas to Cavite, is projected to rise above the water, with the local government units and the whole country projected to reap the benefits.

Dr. Edgardo Alabastro, Ph. D., Chief Executive of Technotrix Integrated Services Corporation, says reclamation is imperative because it will result in more land available for development. He envisions a model city on the reclaimed land, featuring hotels, high-rise residential buildings, entertainment centers, restaurants, and shops offering all kinds of goods and services.

For starters, the services of skilled and non-skilled labor will be required in the construction phase alone. Later, thousands will have to be employed, on a permanent basis, to cater to the needs of foreign and domestic tourists and permanent residents.

All that will mean a windfall for local governments, with their tax revenues rising substantially. The best part is that they won’t spend money in the form of investment to expand their tax base. Whatever revenues they accrue, they can use for social services, such as health and education.

Best practices in reclamation projects

President Marcos is right to have suspended all reclamation activities for fear of environmental degradation. However, the study or inquiry, if one is being conducted by experts, should not take too long to complete.

All the necessary permits should have been secured after considering the pros and cons of the projects. The deficiencies, if they exist at all, must be identified and the recommendation of the measures to correct them made in no time.

Other countries have implemented reclamation projects, without harming the environment.

The Netherlands extended its shoreline by necessity, doubling its land area through reclamation since the 14th Century. A small country in the North Sea, it needed more space for its people, agriculture, and industry.

Other countries did it by choice, notable among them are Japan, South Korea, Bahrain, and Bangladesh.

Using cutting-edge technology and the latest scientific discovery, the corporations involved in the Manila Bay Reclamation should be able to implement their respective projects without any adverse effects on the ecosystem.

In fact, rehabilitation of the surrounding sea is one component of the projects, for the simple reason that the corporations must protect their investment by creating an ideal habitat for humanity.

The corporations have no intention of harvesting corals for filling materials because doing so would destroy the spawning grounds of marine life. They will use sand and muck instead, suctioned from the seabed.

One intended consequence of the reclamation is the dredging and deepening of the harbor, making it navigable and ideal for luxury liners and other sea craft. Land reclamation boosts the volume, chemistry, structure, and texture of the soil. Every living thing needs a home. When land is reclaimed, it can be repurposed to provide land for man to develop new homes for families and businesses.

Of course, ecological disturbance will occur, but the very presence of man creates a negative impact on the environment. The trick is to minimize the disturbance and help nature to regenerate.

Let’s face it: Manila Bay has not been, for the longest time, as pristine as it used to be. Far from being destructive, land reclamation there will result in its rehabilitation. Essentially, reclamation involves land restoration. It allows the land to thrive and remain conducive to fertile soil and other growth areas. Restoring balance in the land means that the ecosystem will once again thrive. 

The challenge now is for the government to strictly implement land reclamation policies that are sustainable and effective in both the short- and long-term, without disrupting the ecological equilibrium. – Rappler.com

Val A. Villanueva is a veteran business journalist. He was a former business editor of the Philippine Star and the Gokongwei-owned Manila Times. For comments, suggestions email him at mvala.v@gmail.com.