Solons seek House probe on Manila Bay reclamation projects

Opposition lawmakers in the House of Representatives on Tuesday sought a congressional investigation into Manila Bay reclamation projects in the aftermath of severe Metro Manila flooding during the Super Typhoon Carina-enhanced monsoon rains.

House Deputy Minority Leader  France Castro, House Assistant Minority Leader Arlene Brosas, and  Kabataan party-list lawmaker Raoul Manuel sought the investigation in their House Resolution 1814.  

In their resolution, the solons alleged that the Manila Bay reclamation projects violated the 2008 Mandamus order of the Philippine Supreme Court for the rehabilitation and preservation of Manila Bay, and were detrimental to the people.

“Current reclamation activities have already displaced or impacted the livelihoods of 2,700 fisherfolk and urban poor in Bulacan and Navotas, destroyed critical wetlands, and pose a significant threat to the marine biodiversity and ecosystems in the region,” the Resolution read.

“It is imperative to investigate the impact of these reclamation projects on flood-prone areas to ensure the protection of communities, the environment, and the fulfillment of legal mandates pertaining to environmental conservation and disaster risk reduction,” they added.

Furthermore, the lawmakers said the reclamation projects also affected a million individuals residing along coastal Manila  Bay, if not indirectly increasing the risk of flooding, storm surges,  liquefaction, and loss of fish stock for the population of Metro Manila, Bulacan, and Cavite.

“We cannot prioritize profit-driven development at the expense of our people's safety and well-being,” Manuel added in a separate statement.

DPWH reacts

For his part, Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) Secretary Manuel Bonoan said he does not see how the Manila Bay reclamation projects would affect the flood control projects of the government.

“I don't know. There has to be a scientific basis siguro kung bakit gano’n ang kanilang kuwan [why they are thinking that]… Because Pasig River is open naman eh. Wala namang nakasara sa [there is nothing blocked in the] Pasig River and Tullahan River,” he said in a press briefing at Malacañang. 

“I would not know how it (Manila Bay reclamation projects) aggravated the flood control projects actually,” he added. 

According to Bonoan, the Pasig River and Tullahan River are the two waterways in Metro Manila which the floodwaters are being conveyed. He said the DPWH still sees the tributaries as “free-flowing.” 

“I think these are free-flowing tributaries naman. I mean, these are the major rivers at nakikita naman namin na wala naman yatang nakabara sa pagdaloy ng floodwaters [we can see that nothing is blocking the flow of floodwaters],” he said. 

In  October 2023, President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. suspended 22 Manila Bay reclamation projects pending a review by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). 

The DENR review has so far cleared two Manila Bay reclamation projects. — with Giselle Ombay/DVM/KBK, GMA Integrated News