Fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) and environmental group Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment filed Petitions for Writ of Kalikasan and Continuing Mandamus against various reclamation and seabed quarrying projects in Manila Bay.

Assisted by their legal counsels from the Community Legal Help and Public Interest Centre (C-Help), PAMALAKAYA and Kalikasan brought to the Court’s attention the distress that coastal communities have been experiencing amid the cumulative and long-term impacts of dredging and reclamation activities across Manila Bay.

Respondents of the petition are the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) – the government agencies responsible in approval and processing of reclamation and seabed quarrying projects.

These agencies, said PAMALAKAYA and Kalikasan, approved the reclamation and dredging projects despite their joint, cumulative, long-term, irreparable and irreversible adverse impacts to the environment, to the livelihood of 300,000 fisherfolks, and to the entire country in terms of food security and patrimony; and, despite non-compliance with the requirements and provisions of environmental laws and regulations.

“Nagpasya na ang mga mangingisda at makakalikasan na itaas sa Korte Suprema ang aming hinaing laban sa mga mapaminsalang reklamasyon at dredging sa Manila Bay.

Bagama’t kasalukuyang suspendido ang ilan sa mga nasabing proyekto, hindi kami mapapanatag hangga’t hindi tuluyang napapatigil ang mga ito lalo pa’t malinaw na labag sa batas at nagdulot ng malawakang pagkasira sa kapaligiran at kabuhayan ng mga mangigisda. Dahil nga sa pinsalang dulot ng dredging at reklamasyon, iniinda pa rin ng maraming mangingisda sa Manila Bay ang 80%-90% na pagbagsak ng kanilang arawang kita mula pa 2019,” Ronnel Arambulo, PAMALAKAYA Vice Chairperson said in a statement.