We support the residents and organizations in Dumaguete City and surrounding municipalities opposed to the proposed 174-hectare reclamation project that will cover 85% of Dumaguete’s beautiful and productive coast. We decry the massive and irreversible damage that the project will cause to Dumaguete’s coral reefs, seagrass beds, and four marine protected areas, and the severe consequences this will have on fisheries in the area and the coastal communities which depend on them for sustenance. We are appalled at the likely harm that siltation from the project will bring to Dumaguete’s mangroves, nearby marine ecosystems, and two national protected areas: Apo Island Protected Landscape and Seascape, and the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape. We are also gravely concerned with the lack of transparency, accountability, and public consultation by local government, and the apparent violations of rules regarding unsolicited proposals and bidding. We urge PRA and other national and regional agencies to insist that legal processes be strictly followed including transparency, public consultations, and other prerequisites of good governance. We call on DENR to be true to its mission of mobilizing the citizenry “in protecting, conserving, and managing the environment and natural resources for the present and future generations.”
Why is this important?
The proposed project will cause irreversible damage to the marine ecosystem specially that there are four marine protected areas and will directly affect the livelihood and food source of fishing communities in the area who depends on the city's coastal waters for sustenance.
