Environment group urges review of permits for Manila Bay dredging

An environmental group on Monday called for a review of the permits issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) which greenlighted the dredging activities in several parts of Manila Bay.

According to Maki Pulido’s report on “24 Oras”, the Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) also questioned the seabed quarrying activities in San Nicholas Shoal in Cavite should be declared as they lack sufficient research.

“Bakit kailangang i-disturb ‘yung isang protected area,’yung San Nicholas Shoal, para makakuha ng dredge fill materials sa isa na namang environmentally-destructive project?” asked ATM National Coordinator Jaybee Garganera.

(Why do they have to disturb a protected area, the San Nicholas Shoal, for dredge fill materials for another environmentally-destructive project?)

According to some fisherfolk whose livelihoods were adversely impacted by the dredging activities, they have yet to receive the promised alternative livelihood, scholarship for their children, and business around a year after the project has started.

“Gano kasakit sa loob ng halos kulang-kulang isang taon na sila nag o-operate limang kilong bigas? Ang binigay yan yung kabuhayan na sinasabi nila,” Roming, a fisherman, said.

(It hurts that in around a year they have been operating all that we received were five kilograms of rice. That’s the livelihood they were telling us.) –Sundy Locus/GMA Integrated News