“RECENT DISASTERS wrought by climate change worldwide point to how untenable the reclamation at Manila Bay can be.”
So declared my favourite solon, Pampanga 1st District Rep. Joseller “Yeng” Guiao, adding his voice to the environmentalists’ clamor to preserve Manila Bay in its natural state. Even as he cited the utter devastation of Tacloban City from Supertyphoon Yolanda as a terrifying case in point.
“The development should be pursued inland, here at Clark.” Guiao told the Capampangan in Media Inc. at their Balitaan Forum just last January, citing the decongestion of Metro Manila in reference to the Clark airport as international gateway.
With the vast expanse of Clark and its assets, Guiao knows whereof he spoke, in this wise at least. And there is, to backstop him, Dr. Kelvin Rodolfo, environmental sciences professor at the University of Illinois, who said the reclamation of only 148-hectare of the Manila Goldcoast Reclamation Project along Manila Bay would already “pose lethal risks to many people including danger of land subsidence, storm surges, storm waves and further ecological damage to coastal ecosystem.”
Rodolfo, it was that introduced to the local lexicon lahar or pyroclastic mudflows and their devastating effects. This guy surely knows whereof he speaks in all things…er, environmentally scientific?
Anyways, Typhoon Ondoy which hit the national capital region in late September 2009 proved Rodolfo’s point. With only 85 kph winds, the typhoon caused storm surges that turned Roxas Boulevard and the environs of Manila Bay into a waterworld.
So who’s listening to Rodolfo, much less to Guiao? Not Ramon Ang of San Miguel Corp., Philippine Airlines, CyberBay Corp. and Petron, among other, who announced the proposal of SMC to build a $10-billion airport to replace NAIA right at the CyberBay Corp.’s disrupted waterfront reclamation project along the Manila-Cavite Coastal Road covering the cities of Parañaque and Las Piñas.
SMC’s airport proposal is a massive 1,600 hectares of land reclamation in that same area. (Rodolfo sees lethal risks with only 148 hectares of reclaimed land, think what graver, deadlier risks obtain in 1,600 hectares.) Not President BS Aquino III who, according to Ang, was “happy” over the proposed project.
Not Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio A. Abaya who earlier said the government is separately considering the closure of NAIA and replace it with a larger air hub, seen to be constructed either in Sangley Point in Cavite or in Laguna de Bay. Both waterlogged sites, and both requiring massive reclamation, if we may point out.
BS Aquino. Ang. Abaya. Waterbabies all. Whither goeth Clark now? So what is Guiao to do? He swears loyalty to the BS Aquino party, and fealty to Ninoy’s family. Ang is not mere confederate but boss in the Philippine Basketball Association. Abaya…no need to bother with this big joke.
Directly contravening his personal stand – the untenability of any reclamation at Manila Bay – and conflicting with the interest, aye, endangering the welfare, the very future of his constituency – the development of Clark and the full operation of its airport as international gateway, Guiao is in some situation.
Here’s where his coaching abilities will serve him best. The middle finger salute, the wayward elbow, the tripping foot, the cuss words and political incorrectness not excluded. Spare the walk off the court though.
