By ATTY. ESTHER GERTRUDE D. BILIRAN and LEAH WILFREDA R. ECHAVEZ

SPARE THE DANAJON BANK DOUBLE BARRIER REEF! SAVE THE DANAJON BANK DOUBLE BARRIER REEF NO TO THE CEBU-BOHOL BRIDGE/INTER- LINKS & RECLAMATION

This was the cry of Tagbilaran Baywatch as it strongly opposed the US$15-billion mega infrastructure project t of the the h Regional Development Council-Central Visayas (RDC-CV) that would connect the four major island-provinces Visayas -Ne -Negros Oriental, in the Cebu, Bohol, and Leyte-through a 238.05-kilometer bridge, toll road expressway net- work(Phase 1) and a massive 568-hectare reclamation projectfor residential, commer- cial, industrial and other six tourism-related purposes (Phase 2) ) (Reyes, R R April 24, 2024, Visayas Neceboley Interlink Holdings Corp (VNHIC) and AG&P Industrial)

Bohol Gov. Erico Aristotle Aumentado presently heads the RDC-CV In a strongly-worded Position Paper, Baywatch decried the project as raising environ- mental concerns involving the the Danajon Bank Double Barmer Reef (DBDBR) discussed that the massive project would “likely” include the DBDBR areas.

as was In a discussion between the e RDC-CV and th and the DPWH-7 as reported by the Philstar! The Freeman in its article entitled “Environmental issues dominate Cebu-Bohol bridge discussion, it was confirmed that the Cebu-Bohol bridge ‘will be most likely in that area(Danajon Bank Double Barmer Reef [DBDBR])”. The Cebu-Bohol Bridge will be connected to the town of Jetafe, a DBDBR area. The The Cebu-Negros Cebu bridge will like- wise affect themarine life-rich Tañion Strait in Cebu, also a protected seascape. The 568-hectare reclamation will also run smack into the DBDBR and Tañon Strait areas (Magsumbol, C., March 15, 2024, Environmental issues dominate Cebu-Bohol bridge discussion.)

The RDC-CV has declared the DBDBR as a protected area. RDC-Economic Develop ment Council chair Melanie Ng in her presentation before seeking the council’s approv al, stressed that “the area is a priority for conversion of of reef, fishes, corals, mangroves, seagrass beds and mollusks as as a large population of population of people are highly reliant on fishery resources in the area.

The DBDBR spans 11 municipalities in Bohol (Calape, Tubigon, Clarin, Inabanga, Bue- navista, Getafe, Talibon, Trinidad. Bien Unido. Ubay and President Carlos P. Garcia); Cebu (Lapu-Lapu); and Leyte (Bato), as reported by the DENR conservation division. The Philippines ranks third among the top ten countries with the most coral reefs, after Indonesia and Australia. The DBDBR is not tonly only a protected p area. It It is is also a a UNESCO Global Geopark site.

The Bohol Island Geopark webpage describes the DBDBR as: “Parallel to the northeast coast of Bohol is a very rare geological formation known as the Danajon Double Barrier Reef. It is one of the 6 double barmer reefs in the world, one of 3 in Indo-Pacific and is the only one of its kind in the Philippines and Southeast Asia. It is composed of numerous but diverse islets and reef patches joining together into an inner Calituban and outer Caubyan barrier reef. Because of its unique coral reef ecology, it is a major breeding ground and habitat of many different species of fishes, marine mammals, mollusks, and seagrasses.

Even without prior conduct of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and the is suance of an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC), and without prior public consultation with its constituents, the provincial governments of Negros Oriental, Cebu, Bohol, and Leyte had granted an ORIGINAL PROPONENT STATUS to the Visayas Neceboley Interlink Holdings Corp (VNIHC) through a collaborative joint venture initia- tive with the provincial governments under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP)Frame- work.

NECEBOLEY is an acronym for Negros Oriental, Cebu, Bohol, and Leyte.

With the threat of destruction of the DBDBR, Baywatch questioned the inconsistency of the RDC-CV, under the leadership of Governor Erico Aristotle Aumentado, in destroying the very same site the agency declared Las as a protected area, under the guise e of getting a DENR-Protection Area Management Board (PAMB) clearance. The environmental group cited the observation of Senator Raffy Tulfo during the Senate Committee on Nat- ural Resources and Climate Change hearing on the Chocolate Hills Natural Monument (CHNIM) on April 3 this year that some DENR officials have been acting like they belong to the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). The senators-members of the committee likewise reminded the DENR that the primary duty of the DENR (and the PAMB) is to protect the environment, not to issue licenses and clearances.

Baywatch likewise pointed out that a destruction of any and all of the DBDBR without any EIA and ECC would be a violation of Section 12 of Republic Act 11038 or the Ex- panded National Integrated Protected Area Systems Act (E-NIPAS)

Boholanos likewise questioned why the RDC-CV did not consider the limited carrying capacity of the province. Carrying capacity refers to the number of individuals who can be supported in a given area within natural resource limits, and without degrading the natural social, cultural and economic environment for present and future genera- tions (The Global Development Center).

Queries were made why Bohol would still need bridges linking the province to the other provinces and massive reclamation for “mass tourism”, when “Bohol’s economy was re- ported to have surged 7.1% due to tourism in 2023,” and “revenge travel” had increased visitors to dose to a million.” (Bohol Investment, March 12, 2024). Concems on social costs were also raised, as such “connectivity” would increase the incidence of crimes and prostitution.

The lack of public consultation was likewise assailed, as Boholanos asked why Bohol should be lumped into this gigantic project as they y prefer that Bohol remain existing and separate as an island-province. It was pointed out that the connectivity would benefit more the other provinces and officials than the Boholanos.

Baywatch asked, “Do the Boholancs want Bohol to be like Manila, with all its concrete infrastructure, or do we want to preserve our peculiar God-given wealth?”

In conclusion, Tagbilaran Baywatch strongly called for the following:

1. Total scrapping of the US $15-billion mega infrastructure project for being destruc tive to the Danao Bank Double Barrier Reef, a PROTECTED AREA, in violation of RA 11038, and for all other reasons stated in the Position Paper,

2 Total scrapping of the project’s for being inconsistent with Bohol’s UNESCO Global Geopark title:

3 Total scrapping of the project, as it causes Bohol to serve tourists beyond its carrying capacity that cannot be supported within Bohol’s natural resource limits, degrading the natural social, cultural and economic environment for present and future generations;

4. Revocation of the proponent status of 1 the VNIHC and/or AG&P Industrial and their Memorandum of Understanding, and the Joint Venture with the provincial governments:

5 Reminder to DENR-PAMB not to allow itself to be a “licensing agency” through the indiscriminate issuance of PAMB clearances, in gross violation n of RA 1 A 11038. Tagbilaran Baywatch wamed that otherwise, they would be constrained to elevate the matter to Congress and the Senate.