CLARK FREEPORT– Joined by Cavite fisherfolk in their protest against the Bulacan aerotropolis project, affected fishers from Bulacan have aired fears that project proponent San Miguel Corp. (SMC), backed by Transportation Sec. Arthur Tugade, is determined to launch the project this December despite “serious lack of requirements.”
“The speculative stance of SMC president Ramon Ang with Transportation Sec. Arthur Tugade makes it appear that construction is to start by the end of the year, despite lack of environmental compliance certificate from the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) and notice to proceed from the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA),” said Anakpawis Partylist leader Ariel Casilao in a statement yesterday.
“Both requirements are crucial for a project to push through. So, if they are that confident, despite lack of a comprehensive study on its impact, it simply means that they would move heaven and earth for the project to push through even it is objectively and scientifically found that the project is not suitable,” he said.
Casilao aired the sentiments of Cavite and Bulacan fishers that the project “is socially irresponsible, detrimental to the environment and violative of the socio-economic rights of poor sectors.”
Fishermen from Cavite joined the ranks of Bulacan folk who held recently a protest rally in front of the San Miguel Corporation’s headquarters in Ortigas Center, Pasig City.
Cavite fishers said the project would require huge reclamation of Manila Bay that would adversely affect also their livelihood on the other side of the bay.
Anakpawis Partylist urged all sectors to “snub” the SMC project, as he echoed the fisherfolk’s sentiments of the project as being “socially irresponsible, detrimental to the environment and violative of the socio-economic rights of poor sectors.”
“We urge the people to boycott the SMC aerotropolis project, by not supporting it, and for the business sector to avoid investing in it. It is a project of corporate greed, it is anti-people and anti-environment,” Casilao said.
He said “the issue affects not only the fisherfolk in Barangay Taliptip in Bulakan town, the location of the project, but of the people living in various towns in the province, as it may worsen the impact of flooding in their communities.”
“In August 2018, due to tropical storms and ‘habagat’ rains, eight towns of Bulacan were flooded, aff ecting more than 120,000 families or 620,000 population. This triggered the provincial government to declare a state of calamity. In July 2019, a total of 52 villages of Marilao, Malolos and other towns were flooded due to tropical depression Egay and ‘habagat’ rains,” Casilao recalled, pointing out that these areas would be virtually dammed up by the aerotropolis project.
He also warned local government officials that supporting the project would be violative of the Supreme Court mandamus to rehabilitate the Manila Bay. “Reclamation is detrimental to the objective of restoring the water to class SB, fit for recreation and fishery resources development,” he stressed
“We advise local officials not to pick a stone they would use to hit their own head. Never underestimate the power of the people that you marginalize and rule with impunity or without accountability. They should learn by now that the people are familiar with the due process and rule of law, human rights and democratic governance,” he warned.
