Senator Alan Peter Cayetano on Wednesday stressed the need for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to conduct a comprehensive review of ongoing reclamation projects, particularly around Manila Bay, with a focus on their ecological and engineering impact.

During the department’s budget hearing for 2025 on October 10, 2024, the senator emphasized that while the DENR is responsible for environmental studies, it must also consider engineering factors.

Cayetano had raised the same issue to Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan a month ago, asking him about the role of the DPWH in reclamation projects, particularly in addressing issues like flooding.

Bonoan had answered that the DPWH primarily assesses the technical aspects of reclamation projects, ensuring these do not interfere with existing flood control systems.

Once the assessment shows no impediments, Bonoan said the DPWH issues “no objection,” but this assessment is limited to the location of the reclamation.

Cayetano then proposed an interagency collaboration between DPWH and DENR in order to improve the oversight of reclamation projects and mitigate flooding risks, saying that DENR may not be technically equipped “for the engineering aspects of reclamation.”

In Thursday’s DENR hearing, Cayetano emphasized that the government must ensure that its actions are sustainable since it spends billions not only on reclamation but also on related infrastructure projects like the Bulacan airport.

Regarding the technical capabilities of DENR and its ability to oversee projects, he highlighted as well the importance of master planning for bodies of water, particularly in Laguna Lake, to avoid unintended consequences such as the increased crowding in Metro Manila.

Reflecting on past experiences, Cayetano noted issues with previous reclamation efforts, including flooding that led the public to blame such projects.

To address these concerns, he requested Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga to take these reclamation concerns to the Cabinet Cluster.

“We always put first the projects na economically and financially viable, then to follow na lang y’ung environmental aspect… Pero hindi naman palaging nacoconsider ang environmental aspect,” he explained.

“Dapat po kasi DENR ang mauna [sa process],” he added