Senator Alan Peter Cayetano urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to thoroughly review ongoing reclamation projects, especially around Manila Bay, focusing on their ecological and engineering impact.
During the DENR’s 2025 budget hearing on October 10, 2024, the senator emphasized the need for the department to not only conduct environmental studies but also consider engineering factors.
Cayetano had previously raised this issue with Public Works and Highways Secretary Manuel Bonoan, inquiring about the DPWH’s role in reclamation projects, particularly in addressing flooding concerns.
Bonoan responded that the DPWH primarily assesses the technical aspects of reclamation projects, ensuring they do not interfere with existing flood control systems.
Once the assessment confirms no impediments, Bonoan said the DPWH issues a “no objection,” but this assessment is limited to the location of the reclamation.
Cayetano then proposed an interagency collaboration between DPWH and DENR to improve oversight of reclamation projects and mitigate flooding risks, suggesting that DENR might not be technically equipped for the engineering aspects of reclamation.
In Thursday’s DENR hearing, Cayetano emphasized the government’s need to ensure sustainable actions, given the billions invested in reclamation and related infrastructure projects like the Bulacan airport.
Regarding the technical capabilities of DENR and its ability to oversee projects, he also highlighted the importance of master planning for bodies of water, such as Laguna Lake, to avoid unintended consequences like 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 bring 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],” dagdag niya.