On World Fisheries Day, fisherfolk and coastal residents from Zambales and Ilocos Sur trooped to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Quezon City, demanding accountability for what they described as the ‘continued corporate plunder’ of the country’s marine and aquatic resources through dredging and reclamation.
The protest, led by the group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA), targeted ongoing dredging operations in Zambales and Ilocos Sur, which are reportedly supplying materials for reclamation projects in Manila Bay. Residents from affected coastal communities joined the group in a street conference outside the DENR central office.
‘Hindi lamang ang direktang korapsyon ng kaban ng bayan ang dapat imbestigahan, dapat din panagutin ang mga ahensya ng pamahalaan tulad ng DENR, na walang-habas mag-apruba ng mga proyektong nagpapalala ng kalamidad tulad ng reklamasyon at dredging,’ said PAMALAKAYA National Chairperson Fernando Hicap.
(It’s not only the direct corruption of public funds that must be investigated-government agencies like the DENR must also be held accountable for indiscriminately approving projects that worsen disasters, such as reclamation and dredging.)
Hicap noted that 13 reclamation projects in Manila Bay have already been granted environmental permits by the DENR. He said these have fueled destructive dredging operations in nearby provinces, such as Zambales and Ilocos Sur, damaging coastal ecosystems and livelihoods.
Vulnerability, not development
The group stated that these extractive activities, combined with mining and corruption-ridden infrastructure projects, are eroding the climate resilience of coastal communities and increasing their vulnerability to disasters.
‘Dahil sa kapabayaan, kundi man lantarang pakikipagsabwatan ng DENR sa mga malalaking kumpanya, lubog ang mga komunidad ng mangingisda at bagsak ang kabuhayan dahil sa pagkasira ng mga pook-pangisdaan,’ Hicap added.
(Because of the negligence, if not outright collusion, of the DENR with large corporations, fishing communities are now submerged, and livelihoods have collapsed due to the destruction of traditional fishing grounds.)
He pointed to the DENR’s own cumulative impact assessment, which warned that reclamation in Manila Bay could lead to massive flooding, biodiversity loss, and a sharp decline in fishery resources.
‘Bagama’t may pag-aaral na inilabas ang DENR kaugnay sa pinsalang dulot ng reklamasyon, hindi naman ito ginamit para tuluyang ipatigil ang mga naturang proyekto,’ he said.
(Although the DENR has released a study on the damage caused by reclamation, it was not used to put a stop to these projects.)
Fast-tracked permits, lack of consultation
PAMALAKAYA urged a formal investigation into how large-scale, ‘destructive’ projects continue to be greenlit by the DENR-particularly those that manage to acquire environmental compliance certificates (ECCs), despite, they said, failing to meet basic legal requirements, such as public consultations.
‘Nararapat lang na imbestigahan kung bakit ang mga mapanirang proyekto tulad ng pagmimina at reklamasyon-kapwa nagpapalala ng pagbaha, ay napapahintulutan ng DENR na dapat ay nangangalaga ng kalikasan,’ said Hicap.
(It is only right to investigate why destructive projects like mining and reclamation, both of which worsen flooding, are being allowed by the DENR, which is supposed to protect the environment.)
The group has previously warned against the irreversible damage caused by dredging operations in Zambales, including the uprooting of coastal trees, the erosion of shorelines, and the displacement of local fisherfolk.
Earlier this month, residents also sought a dialogue with the DENR over these issues, citing worsening floods and destroyed coastal roads in the town of San Felipe.
Global day of protest
The demonstration coincided with World Fisheries Day, first celebrated on November 21, 1997, when the World Forum of Fisher Peoples (WFFP)-a global fisherfolk organization in which PAMALAKAYA is a member-was formed in New Delhi, India.
The group vowed to continue mobilizing fisherfolk against environmentally destructive and corruption-tainted projects, especially those threatening small-scale fisheries-a lifeline for millions of Filipinos.