Several senators and environmental groups have blamed the reclamation projects in Manila Bay for causing the massive floods on Wednesday, when relentless torrential rains were brought over parts of the country by Typhoon Carina (Gaemi).
“This, I believe, is the consequence of all the reclamation happening in Manila Bay, no more outlets for flood waters here in Pasay and Manila,” Senator Juan Miguel Zubiri told reporters.
Sen. Joel Villanueva, who also pointed to the reclamation as the culprit in the flooding, also criticized the Department of Public Works and Highways for apparently failing to address the perennial problem.
Sen. JV Ejercito also said that the reclamation projects could be among the possible causes of flooding.
Jonila Castro, the advocacy officer of Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment, said the intense flooding in Metro Manila, Bulacan, Cavite, and Bataan was a “direct result” of the massive reclamation in Manila Bay.
Greenpeace Philippines campaigner Khevin Yu said the situation called for urgent moves for “climate justice.” He added that it will not be the last, or the worst, storm this year, stressing that climate impacts will continue to escalate.
As floodwaters rose, environmental groups argued that the disaster underscored the urgent need for climate-resilient policies and infrastructure. They said reclamation projects also cause widespread and irreversible damage to coastal communities and the marine environment.
As it always happens in the Philippines, it takes a natural calamity of epic proportions for the people, particularly our leaders, to recognize the ill effects of potentially destructive human activities like reclamation, which continues despite warnings from critics and environmentalists. Moving forward, will our attitude toward it, at the very least, be now more circumspect and cautious? Or will they just wait until we forget, and then continue reclaiming land as they have done before?*
