Fishermen’s group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) slammed the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for issuing an environmental permit to reclamation projects in Manila Bay, which covers 420 hectares of fishing waters.
Pamalakya Chairman Fernando Hicap noted that the department would regret their decision and its office will be “flooded and stormed by the furious [fishermen] and coastal residents on a regular basis for consenting to anti-environment and anti-people projects.”
He added that the DENR had “completely separated from its mandate in protecting the environment’ by providing an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) to twin reclamation projects in Bacoor City, Cavite, being pushed as main proponent by its City Mayor Lani Mercado-Revilla.”