JULY 18 - JULY 24, 2021 16


ANC’s Karen Davila talks to marine biology expert Dr. Rene Abesamis of the SU Institute of Environmental & Marine Sciences, and Dumaguete Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo about the 174-hectare ‘smart city’ reclamation development. Transcript follows:


Dr. Abesamis: They have yet to sign the MOU but definitely, there’s a lot of opposition.


On the issue of transparency Dr. Abesamis: I guess the outrage comes from a perceived lack of consultation. So I won’t judge the issue based on legal matters because that’s not my expertise, but I can talk about ecological destruction.


Davila: Did the Mayor even speak to the stakeholders? Dr. Abesamis: For the most part, I guess no. I only heard about it in the news on July 8 [after the City Council voted to allow the Mayor sign an MOU with EM Cuerpo] but there has been some talk that this is known to a few people. As far as I was concerned, I was not consulted, nor some of my colleagues.


On the ecological damage Dr. Abesamis: We have to understand first how big this is. According to the press release, this is 174 hectares. That’s equivalent to maybe 4,000 basketball courts or 10 Luneta Parks. The image that the public information office released suggests that it’s about seven kilometers -- that’s roughly the distance from Cubao to Guadalupe on EDSA. That’s huge! And Dumaguete is not a very big City. It does not have a very big coastline—it’s about 8.5 kilometers long, and this massive project will occupy about 85 percent of that -- if we follow, you know, what they call “vision”. And [they will reclaim] a relatively-intact marine ecosystem just offshore of Dumaguete, so there will be plenty of local damage. And just around the corner, you have the Tañon Strait which is a national marine protected area. And of course, there are other islands out there, so we have to consider those things.


Davila: Former DENR Sec. Angel C. Alcala said there are over 200 fish species that thrive in the area, and that it will be affected by the reclamation.


Davila: If reclamation pushes through, where were they planning to get, frankly speaking, the soil? You have environment groups saying that they were planning to source it from your local mountains? Dr. Abesamis: There’s no specific information about that yet, that’s for sure, but what I’ve seen is some concerned engineers, for example, making rough estimates, and the number is something like 18 million cubic meters to create that. I’m not an engineer but that’s probably 1.8 million trips of the dumptruck. I can’t imagine sourcing that from land, and if they do, that’s going to be a huge environmental impact on land because you have to mine that. There’s also the possibility that whoever is going to build this might dredge the ocean, and dump that on the shallow areas, the same way as how those Chinese military bases were created in the West Philippine Sea. That’s probably one way to do it. I don’t know what they’ll do but those are two potential routes.


Davila: But if they get the soil from the local mountains, we’re talking about severe flooding...


MOU for the proposed project, and I have not yet signed it. In fact, we have not yet applied with the Philippine Reclamation Authority. Let me correct you when you said it already has the imprimatur of the DENR. Without signing the MOU -- which is only an enabling document that will trigger the application. It will support the Letter of Intent that will follow.


Mayor Remollo: The agreement is an


Davila: The report is that DENR Sec. Roy Cimatu gave an area clearance permit for the project last Dec. 16, 2019 valid for five years. Is this correct?


Davila: But corals...dead forever. Corals cannot be rehabilitated. Mayor: Correct, precisely! The area in front of Silliman University—the beach [there] has no corals anymore! The area along the boulevard has no more corals! Why? Because the corals have been bleached! By the way, there’s a misconception that the boulevard will be obstructed. No Karen, we made it a point that the Silliman Beach will not be obstructed, the boulevard will not be obstructed.


The reclamation cannot go beyond 250 [meters] from the shoreline because the area is a shipping route to Mindanao. After 250 meters, there’s already a steep precipice that is no longer viable for reclamation.


project” because compared to the Manila reclamation or the Cebu reclamation… By the way, it was the Cebu south reclamation which is now the SRP [South Road Properties], about 339 hectares, whose ECC [environmental compliance certificate] was granted sometime in 1995. The point here is that it is too premature to judge whether the project will destroy, or the impacts on the environment will be tremendous. Because wala pang plano, eh. [There’s] No plan to discuss.


Dr. Abesamis: Yes, definitely. As I said, Dumaguete City is lucky to have these marine ecosystems, its rich biodiversity. We’re talking about 1,000 basketball courts of coral reefs, seagrass beds, and we’re talking about at least 150 coral species, more than 200 species of fish, most of those are important to local fisheries. You have turtles, you have seagrass species, mangrove species, quite a lot.


Davila: And is it correct that under the reclamation plan, matatabunan lahat nito at mamamatay lahat? Dr. Abesamis: Based on the information they released, yes, because in some places, the potential reclamation will extend up to 300 meters from shore. In fact, it will be offset by 30 meters from shore -- there’s going to be this canal. And if you’re talking about that distance, it might reach to depths of about 15 or 30 meters, and there’s a lot of biodiversity there. We know that because we’ve done studies there.


Davila: Let’s talk about the coral reefs as well. The coral reef is where the fish feed, where the corals spawn, that’s where the fish lay their eggs, and that’s really the reef of the ocean. Would a lot of coral reefs be affected if the reclamation project pushes through? Dr. Abesamis: Definitely, yes!


Davila: ...at the heart of Dumaguete’s seafront in terms of the coverage of the reefs? Dr. Abesamis: Not only that, it’s really a special interconnected ecosystem. You have the coral reefs, and you also have the seagrass beds. And you also have soft sediment areas there that have some level of biodiversity. So it’s a well- interconnected system.


Dr. Abesamis: Yes, which is currently already a problem. In fact, yesterday, there was big bout of rain here in Dumaguete, and there was flooding in these barangays which will also be affected by the reclamation. Somebody raised that as well, which is, if you were to build those islands in front of the coast, wouldn’t you impede the flow of water, and worsen the flooding? It might be a sandwich of an ecological disaster as people are sandwiched between the mountain and the coast.


Davila: The Mayor claims that the site is meant to be 5G-ready, a mini city complete


Marine biologist Dr. Rene Abesamis


with shopping malls, condominiums, an esplanade, and other business establishments. Does Dumaguete need that? Dr. Abesamis: I really don’t know if Dumaguete needs that. You’ll have to ask the people about that. That’s probably the starting point of public consultation. But if you were to ask me, if you were to develop a sustainable city, the last choice would be to bury marine ecosystems. It creates so many other problems.


Davila: You also have fisherfolk who have started to join the protest, and who say their livelihood would be affected. How many fishermen would be affected? Dr. Abesamis: The data from the Bureau of Fisheries suggest that there may be up to a thousand fishers who would be affected, and that doesn’t count the number of people who are not professional fishers, who are not doing this full time. If you were to walk along the coast of Dumaguete during low tide in the afternoons, you can see people walking along the shorelines gleaning, picking up invertebrates like sea urchins. So it’s really an important food source on so many levels. It’s not just going to be professional fisheries, it’s also going to be household level subsistence.


And if you talk about corals themselves, contrary to some reports, they’re not dead! The coral reefs of Dumaguete are quite alive, and supporting local fisheries. The City government even said we should protect them by establishing four marine protected areas.


Davila: I was wondering because for those who are not familiar, the Tañon Strait is a marine protected area. I went to the Tañon about 20 years ago. And it has a lot of dolphins. Do we still have a lot of dolphins in Tañon Strait today?


On DENR granting a permit. Dr. Abesamis: It deserves scrutiny because it’s huge. It’s going to create this massive ecological damage, and it’s irreversible. No one in this world has been able to rebuild coral ecosystems at that scale. The average is at 100 square meters, according to science. In current science, the most that people have done is about one hectare. On average, it’s about a hundred. You’re talking about thorough reef restoration. And it’s very expensive. Scientists in the Philippines, including National Scientist the late Dr. Ed Gomez, was part of that group that studied that, and it can be quite costly if you’re going to rebuild these ecosystems. No one has been able to do that.


the experts have counted 13 or 14 species, that includes the blue whale, which is known to pass off the waters of Dumaguete, less than a kilometer away. That was well documented in 2016. It’s really a special place when you talk about the Tanon Strait. So a project like this might impact that as well.


Dr. Abesamis: Oh yes, definitely. I think


Davila: Silliman University is known to be at the forefront of marine conservation for the last 40 years. How would this affect the whole stand and conviction, and the statement you are giving out to the rest of the world? Dr. Abesamis: Exactly! You hit it right on the


Mayor: That is not true, Karen. How can it happen when the City has not yet applied for reclamation?


Davila: So walang Area Clearance Permit? Mayor: tNothing whatsoever. We have to apply for that. And the clearances will come from the PPA, DPWH, the tourism sector, fisheries sector. That’s the intial step. But step 1 is to have an enabling document. This is a long process. It may probably take six months, one year to two years, depends on the approvals or the requirements of the DENR.


Davila: Let’s not debate on that anymore because that came out in a major daily (which I will not mention). Are you still going to continue the project given the fact there is so much opposition against it? Mayor: You see, Karen, I am not only


Davila: Did you consult with the stakeholders? Silliman? The fisherfolk? The people of Dumaguete? Mayor: Karen, this is what I did: Two years ago, there’s this video that I had been showing the City officials, barangay officials, people from the rural areas. We committed, and it is in the MOU, that there will be consultations, and the consultations would only happen if the project proponent would have detailed engineering plans so that we could discuss if the impact on the environment would be tremendous or if it is just tolerable, it can be solved or met by engineering intervention. My point there, Karen, is…


Davila: But did you speak with Silliman University? It can only be answered by a yes or no.


this with …because there are opposing views on the impacts of the environment. Unless and until we see the actual detailed engineering plans, and it will only happen if the applicant goes to the DENR for the ECC. So I committed in the MOU that all the position papers and concerns will be brought to the concerned PRA and the DENR for open public discussion. If it will not be approved by the PRA and the DENR, I don’t really care if it does not push through. I am from Dumaguete, and I am as concerned for the environment, so let it be a healthy discussion, or a debate with concerned government agencies. There’s nothing to discuss here because there are no plans yet. That’s my point.


Mayor: I can only give you…I cannot discuss


mayor for the environmentalists or a particular institution or for the rich people living along the boulevard. I am Mayor of 150,000 residents, 70 percent of those are the poor, jobless, part of whom are OFWs because they could not find jobs elsewhere. Dumaguete is a third class city, and a lot of people are migrating and going out of Dumaguete, and especially at this time of the pandemic. Even the country is economically- affected. The businessmen….


Davila: As an environmentalist, how would a reclamation of this massive size affect the travel and route of dolphins and whales? Dr. Abesamis: I really don’t know because there are no studies yet but the Tañon is a narrow strait. The potential reclamation is not very far from that. So if you disrupt that, you might affect the movement patterns [of dolphins and whales]. But if shipping traffic increases, you might see greater frequencies of ship strikes on whales, for example. So it’s anybody’s guess at the moment, but that’s in the realm of possibilities, especially in this special place.


head. Forty years of marine scientific studies in a City that prides itself as a University Town, and it will forever change that coastal ecosystem. And there are professional scientists who can give proper advice on what to do to make things quite sustainable. You even have Dr. Angel Alcala, National Scientist, who started all that. At the end of the day, I think there needs to


be dialogue about this to flush out the issues, and say that look, as scientists, this is what we think, and if you listen to us, we could give you a very good idea of what is sustainable. We really need to avoid this [reclamation] because there is no doubt in my mind this is going to be a monumental ecological disaster. It’s going to be this tomb for marine ecosystems. It’s going to be this underwater tomb -- libingan.


Davila: But why would reclamation be the solution? Mayor: That’s correct, Karen. By the way, there are two phases of the proposed project. The first phase is the wastewater treatment facility or two facilities for that matter, that will be built. Let me give you a short background. When Boracay was locked down in April 2018, then followed Manila Bay, I had the Dumaguete City Water District take a sampling of the seawater condition along the coastline of Dumaguete, and lo and behold, we found that there were fecal coliform that was 800 percent above the tolerable 200 MPN, or most probable number -- that was most alarming for me! That’s why I welcomed the idea of putting up a wastewater treatment facility. But the wastewater facility would have to be constructed on a six-hectare property. And you cannot find a six-hectare property in the boulevard because it’s very expensive there. Dumaguete, by the way, is the smallest in land area -- about 3,400 hectares only -- the smallest LGU in the whole of Negros Oriental. There is no more space to put that [wastewater facility]. By the way….


Davila: I agree with you, [there’s] no debate on the wastewater facility. But why do you need…the wastewater facility is one thing, but then why is a reclamation [needed] of the size of -- is this correct? -- 88.7 hectares plus 25.6 hectares, so a total of roughly a 170 hectares reclaimed, is that correct? Mayor: Water treatment is related...because


the effluents that come out into the sea have destroyed the corals of Dumaguete, okay? It’s a fact that a….


Davila: Okay, but then you can’t say there are no plans yet because there are details that have already come out. Let me read them to you: It’s a P23 billion project and there’s a construction company already, EM Cuerpo Inc. So it doesn’t mean there are no plans -- the fact that there’s a construction company. And then in the draft agreement, this Cuerpo Inc. is going to operate the businesses of the reclaimed area, kumbaga pagyayamanin pa ang construction company na ‘to. Sila pa magpapatakbo nung fish port, ferry station, yacht club, and then the businesses will be jointly-owned: 75 percent will go to the private firm, 25 percent to the City government. I mean, I’m sorry, Mayor, but if you read


this, you’ll have to be brilliant to be in shock. Number 1, why EM Cuerpo Inc. Did they bid for it? Who chose them? How did they get the contract? Mayor: YOUR HONOR!...Miss Karen, they


[EM Cuerpo] have not gotten the contract yet because the PPP contract would have been executed only after the processes from the DENR and the PRA would have been completed…


Davila: Okay, but why this construction firm? Who are they? Mayor: The construction firm, the development firm is the one who presented an unsolicited proposal for a PPP [public-private partnership]. And let me give you the full picture. You see, Karen…


Davila: But why did the proposal come from a private entity that will earn big-time from a project like this? I mean, it’s not a holistic plan coming from the City itself? Mayor: No, the process of an unsolicited


It’s a relative thing to say it’s a “huge


proposal is that they propose. In the second phase the City sits down with them and negotiates. That’s the second point. Now, after the negotiation, this is the full picture: Once the land is being formed, 51 percent of the total land area will go to the government—city government and the national government. Only 49 percent goes to the project proponent. In addition to that, [from] all the businesses -- that is our concession—that will be put up or initiated by the proponent, the City will have a share.


Now mind you, Karen, the City has no capital here. All businesses should earn, but the City earns more because we have no capital


TO PAGE 12 METROPOST EDITORIAL / ADVERTISING Tel. (35) 420-5015, 0918-9400-731 Email: UnitownPublishing@gmail.com


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16