ANGELES CITY- Pres. Aquino has been urged to revoke a “midnight” administrative order issued by former Pres. Arroyo two weeks before she stepped down from the presidency.
Administrative Order No. 288 signed by Arroyo on June 10, 2010, authorized a reclamation project in the Pampanga Bay that would allegedly cause massive flooding in Central Luzon and even parts of Metro Manila.
The AO created an “inter-agency body to facilitate the comprehensive study and planning of an integrated development project in Pampanga Bay.”
In a joint statement, the Koalisyon Kontra Kombersyon ng Manila Bay (KKKMB), the Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) and Anakpawis partylist said AO No. 288 “places Pampanga Bay as potential site for a reclamation project covering an area of 2,500 hectares.”
“Malacañang should not honor a midnight administrative order which now threatens the livelihood of marginalized fisherfolk and poor farmers along Pampanga Bay going through the mouth of Manila Bay,” the statement said.
It noted that the AO included “a plan involved the construction of river dikes along two major river systems to define the boundaries of river banks and create land strips with an average width of not less than 100 meters and extending from the towns proper of Lubao and Sasmuan towns up to the Pampanga Bay.”
“The dikes were also to provide areas for road right of way and for human settlements of mixed land uses following a linear type of development,” the statement said.
The AO did not cite any flood-control consideration in the project.
The AO identified the government agencies such as the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) and the provincial and municipal governments of Pampanga as implementing agencies of the project.
Named as “support agencies” were the Department of Public Works and Highways, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, the Department of Health, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources of the Department of Agriculture; the Department of Tourism, and, on the port component, the Philippine Ports Authority.
But the statement of KKKMB, Pamalakaya and Anakpawis warned that “the reclamation project will result not only to demolition and destruction of livelihood and fishing villages, but it will cause a great deluge in Central Luzon.”
“The reclamation is basically an obstruction. It will submerge Pampanga, Bulacan and several portions of the National Capital Region in times of heavy rains brought about by frequent typhoons and tropical depression,” the statement said.
The statement further said that “the government is inviting a major catastrophe with its reclamation project in Pampanga Bay. It promises juicy commissions for government officials but will bring disaster to the people and the environment in Central Luzon.”
No less than 20 million people living in areas near Manila Bay both in Central Luzon and Metro Manila, will be affected, the statement said.
Pamalakaya and Anakpawis party list said they will seek a congressional inquiry on AO 288 and are even considering petitioning for a Writ of Kalikasan from the Supreme Court on the issue.
Pamalakaya noted that already, 80 houses in Macabebe and 562 houses in Masantol, both in Pampanga and another 12 houses in Hagonoy town in Bulacan have recently been demolished apparently in connection with the project.
