Navotas mussel farmers and fisherfolks led PAMALAKAYA-Navotas held a protest rally in front of Navotas City Hall to demand the reinstallation of their demolished fishing structure on March 14.
During the protest, PAMALAKAYA Navotas members were also threatened to get arrested since they do not have permit. However, fisherfolks and mussel farmers assailed that their demands are legitimate.
Declare Manila Bay as reclamation-free
Since 2017, fisherfolks have lambasted the 650-hectare reclamation project called the Navotas Coastal Bay Reclamation Project (NBCRP) by the Navotas local government unit and San Miguel Corporation. Fisherfolks noted it would negatively impact their livelihood and demolition of their homes. They further stressed that the continuing reclamation in Manila Bay, particularly in Navotas City, caused intense flooding and environmental destruction.
In the last quarter of 2024, ninety-five percent or more than thousands of the mussel farms have already been demolished in Navotas coastal despite the ongoing suspension order of reclamation projects in Manila Bay.
Rommel Escarial, president of PAMALAKAYA Navotas, lamented that his family has had to juggle various alternative means to earn a living since the demolition of their mussel farms. According to him, it was in March last year when he had his last trip to harvest what remained of the mussels in several collapsed anahaws which were already swamped by backhoes.
“Habang nakabinbin ang mga proyektong reklamasyon sa Manila Bay, dapat pahintulutan kaming muling makapagtayo ng mga tahungan sa aming pangisdaan. Isang taon na mula nang tanggalan kami ng aming kabuhayan at marami pa sa amin ang hindi pa rin nakakaahon mula sa pagkalugi,” Escarial asserted.
The Navotas LGU, however, maintains its stance on the mussel farms. Throughout the year, four dialogues have already been made between the mussel farmers and Navotas City mayor John Rey Tiangco. Mussel farmers stressed that none of the dialogues have been fruitful.
According to Escarial, the local government refuses to renew permits, denies the reinstallation of the farms, and declines to compensate for damages. Instead, fisherfolks and mussel farmers were disrespected and belittled. They were also offered alternative programs such as livelihood assistance, TUPAD, and TESDA training that fisherfolks deemed as conditional, inadequate, and out of touch with their actual needs.
Escarial further reiterated the recent cumulative impact assessment of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and experts from the UP Marine Science Institute that affirmed the environmental costs of reclamation activities.
For mussel farmers like Escarial, this study is more than enough reason to declare Manila bay as a reclamation-free zone and all the more reason for the government to bring back their source of livelihood.
PAMALAKAYA Navotas along with environmental advocates have welcomed the said findings but further demand that DENR should make the full UP MSI report publicly available.
Environmental group AGHAM’s resident geographer Timothy James Cipriano lamented a particular concern to SMC’s aerotropolis project Bulacan that may have been excluded from the evaluation.
SMC continues to insist that their project constitutes “land development” rather than reclamation. However, Navotas fisherfolks and mussel farmers argued that they have since observed the reclamation activities following the demolition of their mussel farms including seabed dredging and landfilling.
Accordingly, the NCBRP included landfilling to pave way for the constructon of the Shoreline Expressway and MRT West Line as a preliminary step in what is dubbed to be the “Southern Gateway” to the Bulacan aerotropolis.
“Given these pressing concerns, we strongly call President Marcos to take decisive action by issuing a formal, written order to halt all reclamation projects in Manila Bay,” AGHAM asserted.
