Philippines: Opposition Grows Over Bacoor Land Reclamation

Cynthia Villar, former congresswoman, along with hundreds of residents of Las Piñas City appealed to the Supreme Court to stop the implementation of a major land reclamation project, philstar.com reports.

The project includes the reclamation of 635.14 hectares of submerged land along the neighbouring coast of the cities of Parañaque and Las Piñas and the municipality of Bacoor.

Respondents in the petition include the Alltech Contractors, Inc., the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Environmental Management Bureau and the Las Pinas City government.

“It will result in the destruction of wildlife habitat in the area and expose the residents of the cities of Las Piñas and Parañaque and the municipality of Bacoor and their properties to great risk of flooding”, as it says in the petition asking the Supreme Court to stop the respondents from implementing the Parañaque and Las Piñas Coastal Bay Project.

Tricore Solutions Inc., a hydrological service consultancy firm, conducted a study showing that several areas in Bacoor, Las Piñas and Parañaque may become submerged in 0.15 meters to 5.12 meters of floodwater after experiencing a rainfall of 450mm per hour if the reclamation project pushes through.

Alltech represented that Parañaque and Las Piñas Coastal bay project is just a “continuation” of the “Manila Bay Land Reclamation Project”.

[mappress]

Dredging Today Staff, March 29, 2012;