The members of a local group have organized themselves as they start their quest to oppose the waterfront reclamation project in Tagbilaran City.

The members of the group stand firm as they are asserting their presence in various fora and meetings related to the discussions on the waterfront reclamation project.

According to a source, the members of the group are going to demand that they will be invited to the public hearings so they can voice out their sentiments regarding the issue.

The group’s mission is to ensure that the environment is protected, the source said. The same source added that the core members of the group met on Monday, Nov. 7, 2022 for their plan of action.

The members of the group, composed of civil society mainstays, members of the academe and other concerned individuals, are willing to lend their time and effort to ensure that the environment is protected.

This group is separate from other groups which are also opposing the reclamation project.

It can be remembered that a group of professionals led by a lady lawyer has already expressed opposition on the idea of reclamation in Tagbilaran City.

Another source said that the identities of the local group members shall be revealed once the public hearings on the reclamation issue start.

Moreover, a source also told The Bohol Tribune that there are members of the local group who will be meeting representatives of an institution involved in marine biology research in the country.

The group members hope to get insights from the said ilnstitution known for its strong stance in protecting fragile marine environment, including opposing reclamation projects.

According to the source, the institution is only one of the few research outlets in the country dedicated to the study of marine life and conservation.

Thus, the inputs and insights of the research institution can be valuable to the members of the local group here in Tagbilaran City whose members are opposing the reclamation project as proposed by the Tagbilaran Waterfront Development Corporation (TWDC).

MARINE BIOLOGIST’S WARNING

A marine biologist warns of possible repercussions if nature or the environment gets disturbed.

The warning, aired by Dr. Corazon Banluta Batoy, was done via a radio interview when the latter expressed her views on Nov. 8, 2022 over Newsmakers ug Uban Pa, hosted by Ardy Araneta-Batoy and Dave Albarado.

Banluta-Batoy said that structures at sea such as artificial islands, reclamation projects , pier projects, and moors, among others, might cause disturbance to and impact on the health of the biodiversity of marine resources.

Dr. Banluta-Batoy emphasized that projects implemented at sea should be subjected to several studies including an environmental impact assessment and baseline scrutiny.

The marine biology expert says that it takes time to really feel the impact of environmental damage, thus there is a need to be careful when engaging in infrastructure projects at sea.

BACKGROUND

The support against the reclamation project is mounting as some people see the reclamation idea as something that would negatively impact the environment and displace small fishermen in the area who rely on the waters off Tagbilaran City for livelihood.

The opposition comes days after the Tagbilaran Waterfront Development Corporation (TWDC) presented its unsolicited proposal to the Sangguniang Panglungsod in a special session on Oct. 19, 2022.

TWDC presented its plan to create an artificial island off the coast of the city to provide more spaces for development.

However, some groups have expressed apprehension seeing the reclamation may only lead to environmental disaster at the expense of development.

In an interview, Tagbilaran vice mayor Adam Jala stressed that the project will go through tough public scrutiny as the people of the city will be consulted accordingly regarding the reclamation issue.

Another source claims that as of now, there are already barangay officials who have unofficially expressed their opposition to the project. One punong barangay was heard as strongly expressing her NO VOTE to the project.

At least 4 coastal barangays in Tagbilaran City are included in the reclamation plan with an estimated cost of nearly P12 billion, according to reports.

The reclamation will have an area of 153 hectares, more or less, which broken down will amount to 89.968 hectares, covering Booy straight to a portion of Taloto for the 1st phase of the project.

The 2nd phase will involve an area of 11.677 hectares at the foreshore of Poblacion 2.

Furthermore, the 3rd phase will involve the reclamation of 51.384 hectares in Mansasa and in Poblacion 1.

The cost of building the project is further broken down as follows: P9.53 billion for reclamation works, P1.76 billion for infrastructure support, and pre-implementation will cost P0.70 billion.

In the event the project pushes through, each square meter of the reclamation area will cost around P7,785, the proponents said in their presentation.

The city government will not be spending anything for the reclamation project, according to Coun. Nerio Zamora II.

About 51 percent of the reclaimed land will be owned by the city government while the remainder will be in the possession of the proponent, Zamora added.

The TWDC is composed of Cebu Landmasters Inc., Lite Shipping Inc., Lite Properties Inc., Ulticon Builders Inc. and Aldama Mining Resources Inc. Two Boholano are involved in the proponents’ group and they are Lucio Lim Jr. of Lite Properties, Inc. and Ding Borja of another corporation.

Reports say that the reclamation project is an offshoot of the public-private partnership scheme of former president Duterte.