JULY 18 - JULY 24, 2021 10


We oppose building an island infront of Dgte Kami supak sa paghimo sa usa ka isla atbang sa Dgte


By Angel C. Alcala, SU President Betty C. McCann, Ben S. Malayang III, Hilconida P. Calumpong, Rene Abesamis, Enrique Oracion, Janet Estacion, Robert Guinoo II


Our Reasons/Among mga Rason 1. The project will directly destroy, literally bury, the few remaining coral reef, seagrass, and soft-sediment ecosystems that support small-scale fisheries and gleaning in Dumaguete.


A recent study recorded more than 200


species of fish in one of the areas that will be directly affected by the reclamation. About 60 percent of these fish species are relied upon by local fishers in Dumaguete for livelihood and subsistence.


Kini nga proyekto makaguba, kay kini usa ka paglubong, sa gamay na lang nga mga nahabilin nga mga kapagangan sa mga kagaangan (coral reef), mga buhing mga tanom sa dagat ug uban pang mga matang sulod sa kinaiyahang mao ang panginabuhi sa mga mangingisda ug ingon man ang nahabilin nga uban pang mga kabuhian. Sa usa ka pagtuki sa maong luna sa atong kadagatan mibutyag nga adunay pay labaw sa duha ka gatos nga mga lainlaing klasi sa mga isda niining dagat nga maapektuhan sa proyektong reklamasyon. Sulod sa 60 porciento niini ang mga matang sa mga isda nga maoy panginabuhi sa atong mga lumulupyo niining lapyahan sa Dumaguete.


2.The massive scale of this reclamation project and relatively steep slope of the seafloor off Dumaguete means that enormous amounts of material will be needed to create new land. This material will most likely be sourced


from land, or dredged from the seafloor, causing further damage to the source sites. If the material will be dredged from deeper soft-sediment sites adjacent to the reclamation sites, construction will not only bury the remaining shallow marine ecosystems of Dumaguete but also destroy deeper marine ecosystems that support local fisheries. A recent study estimated that up to 84


percent of the fish species found in these deeper ecosystems are targeted by local fishers in Dumaguete. Ang kabug-aton sa maong proyekto nga


reklamasyon sa lapyahan sa Dumaguete nga adunay mga kantil, magkinahanglan ug daghan kaayong mga materyales aron mamugna ang maong bag-ong isla sa taliwala sa dagat. Kini nga mga materyales magagikan sa isla sa Negros ug ingon man sa mga pagkubkob sa mga buhangin sa ilalom sa atong kadagatan nga maghatag ug duhang kadaot sa atong kinaiyahan ug panginabuhi. Sa maong mga pagkubkob niini nga konstruksyon, mahiuban sa paglubong ang nahabilin sa mga mabaw nga matang sa atong buhing bahandi sa ekolohiya apil ang mga nagkalainlaing mga isda sa lalom nga kadagatan sa Dumaguete. Sa bag-ohay pa lang nga pagtuki, atong mahibal-an nga 84 porciento sa mga klasi sa isda sa atong kadagatan mao ang kanunay nga puntarya sa atong mga igsuong mangingisda dinhi sa Dumaguete. 3. Dumaguete has committed to protect its marine ecosystems and secure the fisheries-based livelihoods of its constituents by legally establishing four marine protected areas over the past 20 years.


These MPAs have a total area of approximately 104 hectares, and are situated off barangays Bantayan, Lo-oc, Mangnao and Banilad. These MPAs are part of a system of protected coral reefs, seagrass beds, and soft-sediment ecosystems in Negros Oriental that are meant to boost fisheries productivity, conserve marine biodiversity, and support tourism. The massive reclamation project will negatively impact these MPAs directly or indirectly. Some of these MPAs may even cease to exist. If the project pushes through, Dumaguete will renege on its commitment to do its part in marine conservation for the Province, the Region, and the country. It will be a disgraceful act, considering that the MPA movement in the Philippines, known throughout the world for its successes in the past 40 years, has its roots at Silliman University in Dumaguete City. Ang dakbayan sa Dumaguete gibantog


nga adunay lalom ug halapad nga pagpakabana sa pagpalambo sa mga programang pagtipig sa kinaiyahan sa atong mga kadagatan ug panginabuhi sa atong mga mangingisda pinaagi sa upat ka mga Marine Protected Areas sa milabay nga 20 ka mga katuigan. Kini nga mga MPAs miabot sa 104 ka iktarya sa kalapdon didto


sa mga Barangay nga nahilakip ang Bantayan, Lo-oc, Mangnao ug Banilad. Nahilambigit kini nga mga MPAs sa mga giprotektahan nga mga coral reefs, mga buhing tanom sa dagat ug ang mga kadaplinan nga lakip sa ekolohiya sa Negros Oriental nga ang tumong mao ang pagpalambo sa abot sa atong mga dapit sa pagpangisda, pagtipig sa kinaiyahang hiyas ug pagsuporta sa turismo. Kining dako kaayo nga ProyeKto sa Reklamasyon adunay direkta ug dili direkta nga mahatag nga hingpit nga kadaot sa atong mga MPAs. Ang uban nga mga MPAs dako ang puruhan nga mahanaw sa dayon. Kung madayon ang maong proyekto, ang Dumaguete mitalikod sa iyang saad ug katungdanan nga makipagtambayayong alang sa pagtipig sa atong mga kinaiyahan sa kadagatan sa atong probinsya, rehiyon ug nasod. Kini usa ka pagdagmal sa iyang putli nga dungog ilabina nga sa Dumaguete ang sinugdanan sa mga unang lakang sa pagmugna ug mga MPA dinhi sa Pilipinas, gibantog sa tibuok nga kalibutan sa iyang mga kalampusan sulod sa 40 ka milabay nga mga katuigan, nga nagamot gikan gyud sa dakbayan sa Dumaguete ug Silliman University.


4. Relocation, rehabilitation, or reconstruction of the critical marine ecosystems that will be affected by this reclamation project is not feasible. Cost- effective and scientifically-sound methods that would allow the recreation of entire functional marine ecosystems simply do not exist.


For instance, a recent study showed the vast majority of coral reef rehabilitation efforts around the world have not been able to scale up to the size of actual coral reef ecosystems, in the order of hundreds to thousands of hectares. This is partly due to the monetary costs involved.


Scientifically-sound coral restoration may cost anywhere from several tens of thousands to millions of US dollars per hectare, not unlike the cost of restoring seagrass and mangrove ecosystems. It seems likely that the planned


reclamation project of Dumaguete City has not incorporated such tremendous expenses to offset the negative impacts on marine ecosystems, not to mention the economic and social impacts on local communities that are dependent on these ecosystems for food and livelihood.


Relokasyon, rehabilatasyon, ug pagbalik sa kanhiay nga kahimtang sa mga hapit na mapanas nga mga kinaiyahan sa atong kadagatan nga maapektuhan sa maong reklasmasyon kay dili gyud kini makahatag ug mahinundanong paingnan. Wala pay namugna nga mga pamaagi nga makahatag ug epektibo nga gasto ug maayo usab ang panglantaw sumala sa sensya. Tanan nga mga pagtuki sa kalibutan, wala pay gyud masukod ang tinuod nga kahimtang sa kinatibuk-an sa mga kapagangan sa mga kagaangan (coral reef) kung pila gyud kagatos kaiktarya ug libolibo ba kaha kini tanan. Usa ka rason niini mao ang dako nga salapi nga pagakinahanglanon. Ang pagbalik sa kanhiay pinaagi sa sensya magkinahanglan kini ug milyonmilyon ka mga dolyares. Murag wala mahilakip pag-ihap sa maong reklasmasyon ang hilabihan kadako nga galastohan bisan lang sa pagsalba aron mabalik sa iyang kinaiyahan ang mga kadagatan. Kinahanglan nga lakip ang pagpangita ug pamaagi aron masalba ang mga coral ug mga tanom sa dagat niini nga proyekto uban usab ang epekto niini sa ekonomiya ug katilingbanong panginabuhi sa mga komunidad. 5. The costs and benefits of this project, while probably fully-appreciated by its private developers and some officials in the City, have not been revealed for wide public consideration. Neither are the technical, legal, and due diligence reviews done by the City Council. Absent this, the sociology, ecology, and


the economics of the project are unclear. They are not available, nor have they been openly discussed for scrutiny, verification, and validation to provide the basis for fairly holding elected officials of the City legally, politically, morally, and electorally- accountable. Dako ang pabor alang sa mga pribadong


kompaniya nga gapasiugda niini ingon man ang mga opisyales sa atong Dakbayan ug ilang nakita ang bili ug mga kaayohan sa maong proyekto apan napakyas sila paghilakip sa maong pag-uyon ang walay kalibutan nga publiko. Ang atong konseho


TO PAGE 13 #No to 174 Dumaguete


United for a just, sustainable City Position Paper by the ‘NO to 174Dumaguete’ Coalition


174-hectare island along the coast of Dumaguete


Why we object to a


The City of Dumaguete is considering to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Quezon City-based construction company E.M. Cuerpo Inc. that has ties with a Chinese company, to create a 174-hectare off-shore island (more than twice the size of Apo Island), stretching along much of the coast of Dumaguete.


including an artificial island, touted as a “smart city” hosting a clubhouse, heliport, yacht club, retirement villas, high- rise commercial and residential buildings, malls, etc., has an estimated cost of P23 billion. We object to this massive reclamation project.


The proposed concept,


We are bound to it through our past experiences, and through the communities that nurture us.


is the source of our identity. We are attached to its green spaces, the beauty of its shores, its glorious sunrise over the sea—vistas that greeted Dr. Jose Rizal in the morning of his visit in 1896—the same landscape and seascape that we seek to preserve today. And so we object to a man- made island of concrete and steel disfiguring, like a huge blemish, the majestic panorama where the sea and sky meet. The waters off the coast


For many of us, Dumaguete


of Dumaguete are teeming with life, part of a system that supports more than 200 species of fish upon which our people depend for sustenance. Dumping millions of tons of


Dumaguete is our home.


Poblacion 1 (Tinago), Looc, Piapi and Bantayan.


unnatural island along the coast will concentrate malodorous pollutants from our canals and drains in the narrow stream of water between the coast and island.


We object because an in our


communities as the natural flow of rivers and creeks is disrupted. Reclamation will result in perpetual siltation of our waters. We want to enjoy the waters of our coast, to prioritize the proper management of waste from our canals and drains, with options on existing land, and to keep our rivers and creeks clean as they flow unimpeded to the sea. Throughout the year, northeast and southwest winds cool the City, disperse air pollutants, and increase the comfort of residents during hot humid days.


It will increase flooding low-lying coastal


An island off the coast with tall commercial and residential buildings will not only obstruct the cooling breeze and elevate pollutant levels but will create its own urban heat island effect characterized by high air and surface temperatures during both day and night.


We object to a project that will reduce our air quality, and further increase local ambient temperatures even as global temperatures rise to record levels.


rubble on 174 hectares (an area equivalent to more than 4,000 basketball courts) of seagrass beds, coral reefs, and shallow water wetlands will transform a wonder world thriving with life into an underwater tomb. We fight to protect our biodiversity, and so we object. To build this island on our coral reefs, seagrass beds, and mudflats, millions of tons of sand, gravel, and soil will have to come from somewhere. Whether hauled down from our mountains and hills, taken from quarries, extracted from our rivers, or dredged from the adjacent seafloor, the reclamation will ruin or worsen the damage to yet another habitat or ecosystem. The dredging will have trans- boundary impacts up and down the coast of Negros Oriental.


destruction of our environment just so the rich and privileged can live in greater luxury. We object because we want to be true to our commitment to future generations as enshrined in our Constitution and executed in the Philippine Sustainable Development Goals and AmBisyon Natin 2040, among others.


We object to the multiple


More than 20 years ago, Dumaguete legally established four marine protected areas off the coasts of barangays Bantayan, Lo-oc, Mangnao, and Banilad.


supply of fish while conserving marine biodiversity and boosting tourism. The reclamation project threatens these MPAs so much that some may end up ceasing to exist. The construction of an island, including any dredging of the seafloor, destroys deeper ecosystems that sustain up to 84 percent of fish species caught by local fishers, and will release sediment plumes, construction debris, and waste to areas well beyond the reclaimed area. We object because we want


MPAs ensure a sustainable


to defend the livelihood of 994 Dumaguetenon fisherfolks, the food security of many Dumaguete residents who depend on fish for sustenance, and the homes, businesses, and well-being of 38,342 residents of our coastal barangays— Banilad, Mangnao, Calindagan,


will be a “smart city” but a smart city is an informed city. The public was not informed of the unsolicited proposal by E.M. Cuerpo, nor about E.M. Cuerpo’s prior arrangements with the Chinese company Poly Changda Overseas Engineering Co., nor of the negotiations between Dumaguete City and E.M. Cuerpo in February 2020 that led to a draft joint venture agreement. The announcement inviting


We are told that the island


other companies to submit a comparative proposal was published in April 2021 in Manila, and not in Dumaguete. No information was given to the public, and no community consultations were ever held before the draft agreement with E.M. Cuerpo was submitted to the City Council for approval. In the interest of good


governance, transparency, accountability, and in furtherance of the people’s constitutional right to information, we must object to a proposal about which the public has been kept in the dark.


that obligates the City to conduct consultations “to promote acceptability of the project” instead of conducting meaningful consultations that solicit the concerns of citizens, and welcome their engagement in participatory decision- making.


We object to negotiations


that compel the City “to protect...the Project against any objections” which runs counter to our constitutional right to freedom of speech and of expression, and to the right to petition the government for redress of grievances. We object to the City entering into a Memorandum of Understanding on a project where 49 percent of the reclaimed land will be allocated to E.M. Cuerpo, and where the sharing of revenues may not be fair.


We object to negotiations


cultural heritage of the City? Will environmental and social costs outweigh the claimed benefits, and will the benefits accrue to only a privileged few, including commercial interests outside of Dumaguete? These are questions that must be answered.


METROPOST


We are told this is development -- but development for whom? Will the yacht club, retirement villas, geriatric center, high- rise residential towers, and clubhouse be affordable to the average Dumagueteño? We believe in sustainable and equitable development— sustainable development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs, and a just development that is inclusive, ending poverty and hunger, ensuring the well- being of all, and reducing inequity.


We are told this is progress, but progress for whom? Much has been made about Dubai as a model, with its skyscrapers, high-end shops, and wealthy residential towers on artificial islands.


But should our model be a country with one of the worst gaps between rich and poor, where the richest one percent owns over half of the country’s wealth, where the poverty rate is 19 percent, and where most migrant workers who make up 88 percent of the population live below the poverty line? We believe in progress that does not worsen inequality, where technology and productivity mean workers can spend more time with their families and enjoy the fruits of their labor, and where quality education and health care are accessible to all.


We are for shoreline protection but not the types of structures that further damage our environment, and worsen flooding risks.


Knowing that the Philippines is among the most vulnerable countries in the world to climate change, we work for a resilient Dumaguete where vulnerable communities are protected from harm. We champion the


restoration and nurturing of our mangroves to reduce the impacts of waves and storm surges. We back interventions that take into account the expected sea-level rise of about 14.7 mm per year for the coming decades due to global warming. We encourage innovative non-structural bioengineering measures using natural materials. We support efforts for climate mitigation and adaptation including disaster risk reduction. We call for respectful


dialogue and meaningful public consultations that explore the social, cultural, ecological, and economic implications of this massive reclamation project.


We call for the release and full public disclosure of plans, project description, cost estimates, and transactions involving the public interest for the sake of an informed electorate—a key part of a functioning democracy. We appeal to the Mayor


to the island and who will decide what businesses can operate in the island? What will be the direct and indirect impacts of this exclusive island enclave on our local businesses, and the current establishments fronting our coast? Will the project result in an increased cost of living in Dumaguete? Will the off- shore island aggravate traffic volume and congestion in the City? How can we account for the potential deterioration of aesthetic values, and the


Who controls the access


and City Council to refrain from entering into agreements, or to rescind agreements that preempt a full and vigorous discussion of the merits of a concept proposal whose consequences extend beyond our City and indeed, beyond our generation. A sober look at our world shows that the degree of human intervention, often in the service of business interests and consumerism,


making our earth less rich and beautiful, ever more limited and grey....We seem to think that we can substitute an irreplaceable and irretrievable beauty with something which we have created ourselves. What kind of world do we want to leave to those who come after us, to children who are now growing up?--Pope Francis


is actually


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