OPINION
Advocates Philippines
Drowning Las Pinas And Paranaque
Photo credit: LPPWP
The most efficient way to kill wildlife is to destroy their natural habitat in the name of land expansion and “development”. The fastest eco-massacre that we are currently witnessing especially in Metro Manila is the 22 reclamation projects that are currently being deliberated and processed by the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA).
Without any recourse to the consequences of these reclamation projects, two Ñ cities are about to drown. The bonus in all of these corporate interests is that the national and local governments are willing to sacrifice the lives of more than 1 million residents of Parañaque and Las Piñas for money.
The City of Las Piñas for example has four rivers where its waters end up in the Las Piñas - Parañaque Wetland Park (LPPWP). The Society for Conservation of Philippine Wetlands describes the site, formerly known as the Las Piñas - Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA), as a 175 hectare protected location.
It said that LPPWP is divided into two main landmasses: Long Island is at the southwest portion of the LPPCHEA in Las Piñas City and Freedom Island is at the northeast part in Parañaque City. It added that it is predominantly covered by mudflats. “LPPCHEA also has brush, grass, beach, dirt, and mangrove areas. Mangroves are the most prevalent plant species (8 species in total) in the area covering about 30 hectares,” it said.
One can see these protected areas from a plane if you arrive in Manila and if the pilot lands in the Manila Bay area side of the airport. The mudflats on LPPWP is around 114 hectares which have mangroves and provide a safe haven for around 5,000 birds including food sources. Twenty-nine migratory bird species are at risk as it is within the migration path of these animals who want to escape winters in Siberia every year.
The biggest problem however is that once all reclamation projects are allowed to push through, the predicted height for flooding would be six to eight meters. This is basically a three-storey building and most if not all of the villages and communities in both cities will become uninhabitable .
The Supreme Court must also make a final ruling and order a permanent dismantling of all the structures and dredging. It has to task all local government units to submit reports on the rehabilitation efforts. It would be interesting to see how the Mayors of Manila, Pasay, Parañaque, and Bacoor will frame their updates to the Justices.
The President’s order last August was not enough to deter private interests from continuing the land reclamation process. The legal challenges of reclamation are also highlighted as PRA Chairman Alberto Agra and General Manager Janilo Rubiato were suspended by the Ombudsman without pay for approving deals that overlapped between two reclamation projects.
The LWPP became Site 2124 of the Ramsar Convention list of Wetlands of International Importance in 2013. It is a recognition of the area’s significant value to the country but also the people. The SC and the President MUST recognize this, unless they want to see two major cities drown. They have the opportunity to save Manila Bay now.
Without any recourse to the consequences of these reclamation projects, two Ñ cities are about to drown. The bonus in all of these corporate interests is that the national and local governments are willing to sacrifice the lives of more than 1 million residents of Parañaque and Las Piñas for money.
The City of Las Piñas for example has four rivers where its waters end up in the Las Piñas - Parañaque Wetland Park (LPPWP). The Society for Conservation of Philippine Wetlands describes the site, formerly known as the Las Piñas - Parañaque Critical Habitat and Ecotourism Area (LPPCHEA), as a 175 hectare protected location.
It said that LPPWP is divided into two main landmasses: Long Island is at the southwest portion of the LPPCHEA in Las Piñas City and Freedom Island is at the northeast part in Parañaque City. It added that it is predominantly covered by mudflats. “LPPCHEA also has brush, grass, beach, dirt, and mangrove areas. Mangroves are the most prevalent plant species (8 species in total) in the area covering about 30 hectares,” it said.
One can see these protected areas from a plane if you arrive in Manila and if the pilot lands in the Manila Bay area side of the airport. The mudflats on LPPWP is around 114 hectares which have mangroves and provide a safe haven for around 5,000 birds including food sources. Twenty-nine migratory bird species are at risk as it is within the migration path of these animals who want to escape winters in Siberia every year.
The biggest problem however is that once all reclamation projects are allowed to push through, the predicted height for flooding would be six to eight meters. This is basically a three-storey building and most if not all of the villages and communities in both cities will become uninhabitable .
The Supreme Court must also make a final ruling and order a permanent dismantling of all the structures and dredging. It has to task all local government units to submit reports on the rehabilitation efforts. It would be interesting to see how the Mayors of Manila, Pasay, Parañaque, and Bacoor will frame their updates to the Justices.
The President’s order last August was not enough to deter private interests from continuing the land reclamation process. The legal challenges of reclamation are also highlighted as PRA Chairman Alberto Agra and General Manager Janilo Rubiato were suspended by the Ombudsman without pay for approving deals that overlapped between two reclamation projects.
The LWPP became Site 2124 of the Ramsar Convention list of Wetlands of International Importance in 2013. It is a recognition of the area’s significant value to the country but also the people. The SC and the President MUST recognize this, unless they want to see two major cities drown. They have the opportunity to save Manila Bay now.
Nov 3, 2023
