MANILA BAY: KEY TO ECONOMIC GROWTH

A Research Presentation

Junior High School Department

St. Michael’s Institute
Poblacion, Bacoor, Cavite

Presented to:
Ms. Princess Era S. Felipe

Submitted by:
Pocong Rose Anne A.
Cabrera, Jenina Denisse R.
Torres, Neil Marjunn B.

Grade 10 – St. Augustine of Hippo

February 2019
 I. Introduction

Background of the Study

Manila Bay, whenever we hear that place, we recall the tall buildings beside it, the people
talking, walking and having a great time while watching the waves hit the huge rocks, the amazing
view and eye-catching sunrise and sunset, and last the yacht, ship and boats sailing at wide sea.
These are the attributes of the alluring Manila Bay. It is said to be that it is the front door to the
world and the country's hand when it comes to reaching other neighboring countries. The bay
remains important for commerce and industry for our economic and urban. But before modern
technology was invented, Manila Bay has become one of the places where historic events
happened. For example, the Battle of Manila Bay in 1898 where American Navy destroyed and
captured all Spanish ships because of its attempt to recolonized the Philippines. During World War
II, the Manila Bay becomes Japanese troops base to fought various battles. And the Battles of La
Naval de Manila where Dutch ended their various attempt to seize our country. These are the
evidences that Manila Bay faced a lot of challenges but still sturdy enough to stand and live up to
present.
Today, Manila Bay is facing a new challenge. Not because of colonization nor various of
battles but because of the government's plan of reclamating it to increased our economic growth.
Land Reclamation is the process of creating a new land from ocean beds, riverbeds and lakebeds.
They will destroy and pulverized hundreds of coral reefs and fill it with land to make another city.
The government made an action which is to rehabilitate first the Manila Bay before they continue
reclamating it. But what it the used of rehabilitating it when they are about to destroy it again.
There are many factors that can affect others life with this reclamation plan. It is also a threat in
marine ecosystem and lead to the destruction of its biodiversity.
This topic is really alarming and interesting one even though we are just students. You can
say that we are just “students” but these projects can affect our future and also the future of our
country. They always say that we are the future’s hope and we are here to give concern, to
recommend, and to make a research about the projects that our government have when it comes to
Manila Bay. We want to be an eye-opener to our fellow students and to the people who are concern
with this topic. Whenever we hear news and documentaries about this reclamation and
rehabilitation plan there’s a lot of question inside our mind that needs a reasonable answer. With
this research of ours, we will answer the questions and we will come up with a conclusion whether
if reclamation or rehabilitation is the key to our economic growth.
Objectives of the Study

This research aims to answer the following concepts:

1.) To know the effects of reclamation and rehabilitation to our society.
2.) To determine the possible outcomes of the rehabilitation projects in Manila Bay.
3.) To know what will happen to the small-scale families near Manila Bay.
4.) To identify where will the funded budget comes on the said rehabilitation project.
5.) To find out how long is the duration of the rehabilitation process of the Manila Bay.

Significance of the Study

This study aims to contribute to the following:

The students because they will be aware on the aspects of the projects that is related with
the concern to Manila Bay.
The tourists will benefit because they will be informed on the processes the Manila Bay is
undergoing that can affect at the same time to the number of populations visiting there.
The community will benefit because they are the already the environment stated in this
study and they are already complacent and for them to be aware of the current happenings about
Manila Bay
The small-scale families will be significant because they are the ones who will might be
get affected when it comes to their livelihood and way of living.
 II. Body (Research)

According to Wikipedia 2019, land reclamation is the process of creating new land from
oceans, riverbeds, or lakebeds that is usually done within coastal areas. In other jurisdictions,
including parts of United States, Reclamation refers to returning disturbed lands to an improved
state. In Canada, it is defined by provincial government as process of reconverting disturbed land
to its form or other productive uses.

The start of the Rehabilitation at the Baywalk in Manila was officially declared, starting
with the event of Solidarity Walk from Quirino Grandstand to staging area (Baywalk), were about
5,000 individuals, mostly representing 13 Mandamus agencies, local government units and private
sector under DENR Se. Roy A. Cimatu.
President Rodrigo Duterte also signed the Executive Order No. 74, s. 2019 which states the
power of the president to approve reclamation projects and other purposes.

Executive Order No. 74, s. 2019

Repealing Executive Order (EO) No. 798 (s. 2009) and EO No. 146 (s. 2013), transferring
the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) to the Office of the President (OP), delegating
to the PRA governing board the power of the President to approve reclamation projects,
and for other purposes.

Land reclamation has been increasingly seen as a solution. However, it’s highly
controversial because of the serious impact it would have on the surrounding environment. From
the government review of Hong Kong in 1996, it is stated that the land reclamation would result
in the “large displacement of the marine sediments and the development of mud-waves beneath
the reclamation fill”. This would disrupt the ocean’s ecosystem, lead to soil liquefaction, and
pollute the water. Also, the exploitation of land, and any other common access resources, will only
be a threat to the growth of the city in the long run. Environmental protection is vital to sustainable
and successful economic development. Thus, the government should invest in environmental
preservation projects like better technology and updated reclamation methods should also be
employed to limit the release of pollutants (Duong, 2017).

With the high rate of urbanization and industrialization, land clearance and reclamation are
general practices to satisfy the demands for lands for development. It also involves the conversion
of agriculture lands and naturals areas into a form that is suitable for urban and industrial
development.
 Land reclamation for urban and industrial development usually involves topographical and
hydrological modifications. The operations include draining and filling of marshes and wetlands,
constructing residential houses or resorts on beaches or dunes, building seawalls and extending the
shoreline into the sea, etc. These cause great impact on the marine environments. Reclamation
also involves the dredging of soft mud at the site for loading of a large quantity of materials into
the site for land formation. All these practices have direct impact on marine organisms, especially
coral reefs. These reefs provide a highly protective barrier for coastlines, such as beaches, from
the continuous pounding of ocean waves, provide intricate and complex habitats for variety of fish,
mollusks, echinoderms and crustaceans. Land filling can also directly kill these marine organisms.

According to an article from Reyes 2018, in a bid to be on a par with or perhaps surpass
other cities in terms of economic development, the local government units of Pasay City and
Manila tapped the private sector to help boost their progress. The two cities led by Manila Mayor
Joseph E. Estrada and Pasay City Mayor Antonino Calixto recently signed a memorandum of
agreement (MOA) to pursue together with “utmost effort to cooperate with each other and extend
mutual assistance” to their separate partnerships with private groups to reclaim huge swathes of
the Manila Bay to develop valuable coastal real estate, as well as generate employment and other
economic opportunities in the two premier coastal cities in Metro Manila.

Through the effectivity of the said Executive Order, reclamation projects in the Manila Bay
are already approaching. Some of the reclamation projects are: MGDC-Manila local government
148-hectare Solar City Project; Southern parcel of the Manila-Cavite Coastal Road and
Reclamation Project-North Sector; Pasay LGU’s joint venture with SM Prime Holdings Inc. for a
300-hectare and 60-hectare projects; and the Pasay Harbor City consortium-Pasay LGU’s 265-
hectare Pasay Harbor City project. The reclamation projects approved by the city governments of
Manila and Pasay need to secure an area clearance from the DENR’s official of the secretary
authorizing and permitting the proponents subject to certain conditions. Any reclamation project
must comply with environmental laws such as the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and Solid
Waste Management Act. In contrary with this, the ongoing Manila Bay rehabilitation is not a
prelude to any land reclamation initiative the government is preparing many of infrastructure
projects. The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is merely implementing
a December 2008 mandamus of the Supreme Court to clean up, rehabilitate, and preserve Manila
Bay (Cordero, 2019).

The house committee raised concerns about the Manila Bay cleanup, questioning plans for
further reclamation.
 Buhay Party-list Rep. Jose L. Atienza, Jr. told the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA)
during the committee meeting on the status of the Manila Bay rehabilitation that “There are many
possibly destructive effects of the planned reclamation”.
In response, the PRA argued it ensures the Authority screens reclamation projects and
questionable plans that may have a negative impact on the environment. The PRA reported that
there are 22 pending reclamation projects in Manila Bay, varying stages of approval, covering
about 20,000 hectares. They also said that reclamation projects help protect coastlines and generate
employment (Philstar, 2019).

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources said an official proposed

reclamation projects on Manila Bay that may be rejected if proven that they would harm nature.
According to Environment Undersecretary Benny Antiporda (Yap, 2019), concern that the
projects could harm the environment and hamper the rehabilitation of Manila Bay was raised
during a day meeting of government agencies overseeing the cleanup.

Manila Bay is alive and still able to provide livelihood for thousands of fisher folk, their
families, communities and environmental groups say as they continue their campaign against
ongoing and future government reclamation projects on one of the country’s most important body
of water. Last year, President Rodrigo Duterte has given the green light to more than 80 billion
pesos worth of reclamation projects were implemented by the Philippine Reclamation Authority
(PRA). Despite of opposition from various sectors, the government ordered a fast-tracked
completion to give way to economic development and ease the metro’s traffic woes, among other
reasons. But, beyond these promises of change and progress lie concrete problems faced by the
environment and grassroots communities, one of the affected areas is Manila Bay, a body of water
which different coastal communities rely on for their living.

With the implementation of these massive reclamation projects, affected residents face
threats and responsibilities of losing their livelihood and communities. Since then, communities
have strengthened their unity as they fight for their rights as citizens.

These massive reclamation projects in Manila Bay are part of national reclamation plan
pursued by the government to further boost the country’s economy. However, these shall come at
the expense of coastal communities being displaced, environmental groups said. The Manila Bay
is one of the Philippines’ major center of economic activity, including fishing and aquaculture
activities. However, its ecosystem continues to face and handle problems from several
developments that take place in the area.
 According to the Partnerships in Environmental Management for the Seas of East Asia
(PEMSEA), pollution, over-fishing, and loss of habitats are some of the issues that threats the
Manila Bay. Its effects might include the degradation of the involved ecosystems and biodiversity,
which affects those who are dependent on it. Fisher folk challenges the claim, however, saying the
DENR study is being used to justify the planned demolition of their communities and livelihood
by and on the bay.
According to Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas
(PAMALAKAYA-Pilipinas), fishermen still harvest a considerable amount of fish from Manila
Bay. For them, the government should rehabilitate the waters, not reclaim them. Residents also
scored the dumping of waste in nearby communities. According to Nieves Sarcos of
PAMALAKAYA, big barges continue to deliver 100 truckloads of trash to Barangay Tanza per
day.
PAMALAKAYA claims that almost 60% of pollution that enters the Manila Bay comes
from Pasig River, in which 80% comes from industries and other commercial establishments in
Metro Manila.
Manila Bay Coordinating Office executive director Antonio Gaerlan stated that wastewater
from 86% of the 14 million households served by water concessionaires is still directly flushed out
into Manila Bay. The mandatory construction of wastewater treatment facilities for all households,
establishments and industries was not included in the privatization of water services under the
Fidel Ramos administration with Manila Water and Maynilad Water Services.
PAMALAKAYA has condemned past and present administrations that use the SC’s order
as justification to abolish fishing communities.

The fisher folk group continues to push for the rehabilitation and clean-up of Manila Bay.
With its continued destruction, small-scale fishermen have experienced the trend of fish-catch
depletion, from 10 to 15 kilos down to two to five kilos of average catch per day.
Markers and fences are already constructed along the shores of Barangay Tangos in
preparation for the project. The fisher folk fear that the barriers would block their fishing boats
from going offshore and restrict their already limited fishing activities.

Republic Act 10654

“An Act to Prevent, Deter and Eliminate Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated Fishing,”
small and medium fishing vessels are only allowed to operate within 10 to 15 kilometers
from the coastline in municipal waters.
 Fishermen are directly affected with this policy. According to them, fish of high value like
tilapia and bangus cannot be found in the shallow areas of the coast; they are forced to prioritize
crabs, squid, shrimp, and other small fish, which do not sell as much.

According to Broqueza, only big ships benefit from the Manila Bay since small-scale
fishermen can’t go too far out to sea. Due to the declining fish catch, small-scale fishermen choose
not to bring their fish to the Navotas Fish Port for offloading. Instead, they do business in their
barangay despite earning substantially less.
According to Dodong Remojo, a fisherman of 30 years, around 70 to 80 percent of the fish
in the port come from Palawan. Fishermen also suffer from various violations imposed on them.
There are no markers which indicate the 15-kilometer distance from the shoreline—they only
estimate how far they have sailed. The ambiguity makes them vulnerable to violating the
limitations stated by the law.
Likewise, DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu said that administrative and criminal charges will
be filed against local government officials who have neglected their duty in ensuring proper waste
disposal and waste management within their respective constituencies which resulted in a polluted
Manila Bay.
Private establishments including hotels and restaurants which will be found guilty in
polluting Manila Bay due to non-compliance with environmental laws, on the other hand, will pay
a fine ranging from P20,000 to P200,000 per day.
The budget allotted for the rehabilitation of Manila Bay is 47 million and is only good for
3 years but the government will still implement the rehabilitation of the Manila Bay until the term
of President Duterte ends on June 30, 2022.
Assistant Secretary Daniel Darius Nicer of the DENR's Anti-Corruption Office—the office
in charge of the rehabilitation—gave such assurance to Congress during the DENR briefing on the
Manila Bay Rehabilitation Program before the House Committee on Ecology.
Private establishments including hotels and restaurants which will be found polluting
Manila Bay due to non-compliance with environmental laws, on the other hand, will pay a fine
ranging from P20,000 to P200,000 per day.
 III. Conclusion

Summary and Conclusion

To sum up our research, the project of reclamation in Manila Bay has many positive and
negative factors. The positive effect of reclamation is it can help our economic and welfare growth
increased. There will be increased in infrastructures that could help to lessen the unemployment
rate of the Philippines. But otherwise, it could lead to destruction of marine life and the livelihood
of our fellow Filipino Fishermen.
In this research, we therefore conclude that rehabilitation is better than reclamation for it
can gain more tourist within our capital city. It could make the biodiversity and ecosystem of
marine life healthier and can help our fellow fishermen with their living. We can say that our
country will benefit if we continue the said plan but how about the small-scale families and the
people who lives in Visayas and Mindanao, while we step by step achieve our goal in making our
economic status better, we forget the ones who suffer in poverty. Rehabilitation can save marine
life and our dying agriculture. We can invest more in fishing industry which is more useful and
helpful for all of us. The continuous guarding and announcing to the public of proper waste
disposal and maintaining the cleanliness of Manila Bay can make our living and economy much
higher year by year. In reclamation we need billions of money and destruction of environment
before we can slowly help our economy but in rehabilitation, we need discipline and participation
for us to achieve our goal without killing hundreds of marine lives and helping our fellow Filipinos.

Recommendations

In this research, we recommend that:

 We should use our resources which is our fishing industry.
 Instead of using the fund in reclamation, use it to rehabilitate the cities which are destroyed
by the natural disasters and war.
 With the government, we should maintain the cleanliness of the Manila Bay.
 The government must close all the establishments, buildings, and mall who violated the
law which regards to proper waste disposal.
 The Filipinos must be responsible enough and be disciplined when it comes to throwing
garbage.
 The government must relocate the informal settlers.
 Everyone has the responsibility with the Manila Bay so everyone must participate and
cooperate in proper waste disposal.