00:00The land is not enough, but it can be added through reclamation.
00:12Just like what is being done in developed places like Singapore and Dubai,
00:19and even here in Manila Bay until now.
00:26The question is, will this really work?
00:31In the middle of Manila Bay, from the air, you can see the rough land.
00:45The noise of the growing dredgers is getting louder.
00:49Seashells are being released from the ground and the sand.
01:03There, the black part is being released.
01:06Like mountains are being formed on the surface,
01:10which will probably completely change the shape of Manila Bay.
01:20In these reclamation areas, a modern city is being built.
01:32But the things that are being pushed by the movement of water and land around Manila Bay are getting worse.
01:41I hope that they will give us a chance in our search for life,
01:46so that they won't destroy everything.
01:49Their search for life is affected.
01:52There's nothing left to catch.
01:54Just a piece of land.
01:57But their protests and complaints are only heard or heard.
02:12In big projects, there are small projects,
02:16like the fishermen of Las Pinas, Pasay, Paranaque, and Cavite,
02:22which are now affected by the extensive reclamation project in Manila Bay.
02:29One of the fishermen affected is Mr. Vic from Las Pinas City.
02:34Mr. Vic is from Las Pinas City.
02:36For almost four decades, he's been used to catching fish in the sea.
02:42There, that's what I'm catching.
02:45But ever since the new reclamation started in Manila Bay,
02:49fishermen are now prohibited from fishing there.
02:53The reclamation is affecting us a lot.
02:55First of all, our livelihood.
02:57We almost went bankrupt because there's nothing left.
02:59The grass that grows in our area is gone.
03:02Our livelihood is gone.
03:11What do you call this?
03:12This is what we call a fish trap, ma'am.
03:14It's like a fish pen?
03:15It's like a fish trap.
03:17Ah, fish trap.
03:18I have another one.
03:20But in the past, three fish traps fell on me.
03:24Why did they fall on you?
03:25They said we're not allowed there.
03:27There are many reasons.
03:28But for me, the reclamation is the real reason.
03:31That's why we were removed from that place.
03:33For many people to catch fish,
03:35Vic built four fish traps, if you will,
03:39made of bamboo.
03:41It has a generator,
03:42so that at night, there's a light
03:44to lift the fish up.
03:46Underneath.
03:48But because of the reclamation project that's being done now,
03:52some of Vic's traps were closed.
03:57In the past, there were about 300 fish traps
04:00in this part of Manila Bay.
04:02Now, it's good that there are still 30 left.
04:06In the past, there were six fish traps in Dilis.
04:09That's the estimate that Vic got
04:11when they went to their fish traps.
04:14Now, there are three.
04:16They're lucky if they caught three.
04:19Even the types of fish,
04:21many of them were lost,
04:23or maybe caught by the government
04:25here in the reclamation.
04:28Are you being given any help
04:30to make up for the loss?
04:33No, we're not.
04:34I don't feel like we're being given any help.
04:37They said,
04:38you've been waiting for a long time.
04:39For us, we hope,
04:40we plan, like you,
04:42we thank you
04:44that somehow,
04:45we'll be able to show what's happening to us.
04:48It's like,
04:49the government is forcing us.
04:52It's too much.
04:55They're giving us training,
04:56they're making us fish traps.
04:58What are we going to do?
04:59What else are we going to cook?
05:00We won't be able to catch anything.
05:02That's why,
05:03Vic is going to the sea of Las Piñas
05:05to fish.
05:07But even here,
05:08the effect of the reclamation is already felt.
05:11In the past, the excess water
05:13is gone.
05:14It's gone.
05:15The fish traps?
05:16Yes.
05:17What effect does that have on the fish?
05:19The fish, of course,
05:20will look for the excess water
05:23so that they can swim.
05:25Aside from the fish traps,
05:27the boats they use,
05:28if it's too noisy,
05:29of course,
05:30the fish will really leave.
05:33To those who say
05:34that reclamation is needed
05:36because the land needs to be added,
05:38new businesses need to be built,
05:42they're saying,
05:43on the whole,
05:44that reclamation is good.
05:46What can you say about that?
05:48Reclamation is not good
05:50because first of all,
05:51we're depriving the nature
05:53and the life of the fishermen.
05:56It's gone.
05:57Almost 80%
05:58of their income is lost.
06:00And also,
06:01our coastal areas are destroyed.
06:03We consider that
06:04the fishermen are doomed.
06:07The Spaniards say
06:09that there are reclamation projects
06:12here in the Philippines.
06:13In the 1970s,
06:15the 660 hectares of Manila Bay
06:19were reclaimed
06:20for what is now
06:22the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex,
06:25some malls,
06:26and business districts.
06:29But in 1993,
06:31the City of Manila
06:33passed the City Ordinance 7777
06:36prohibiting any kind of reclamation
06:40in Manila.
06:41But in 2011,
06:43that was without a visa.
06:45But just last year,
06:47President Bongbong Marcos Jr.
06:50suspended
06:51more than 20 reclamation projects
06:53in Manila Bay
06:54while the DENR
06:56passed a study
06:58or a Cumulative Impact Assessment
07:01on the effects
07:03of extensive reclamation
07:05on the environment.
07:07In the initial study
07:09by the DENR,
07:11the DENR found that
07:12the reclamation project
07:14was slowing down
07:15the flow of water
07:16in Manila Bay
07:17which has an effect
07:18on the fishery.
07:20However,
07:21after just 3 months,
07:23the DENR gave
07:24a go signal
07:25to pass
07:26more than 20
07:27reclamation projects.
07:30One of them
07:31is the 265 hectare
07:33Pasay Harbor City
07:35Reclamation Project
07:36for a modern
07:38waterfront city.
07:40And the second one
07:41is the 360 hectare
07:43Pasay Reclamation Project
07:45for eco-friendly
07:48commercial and residential spaces.
07:55We went down
07:56one of the landslides
07:59in the middle of Manila Bay.
08:01We are not on any beach
08:03but we are in the middle
08:04of Manila Bay.
08:05This is the situation
08:06right now.
08:07These landslides
08:09that you can see here
08:11are part of the
08:13reclamation project
08:14from Manila to Pasay.
08:17All of these
08:18are part of the
08:19reclamation project.
08:20This land is still not enough
08:22to build a business
08:23or add more houses.
08:25That's why they are still
08:26reclaiming.
08:32The problem is
08:33that the land is being added
08:35but the sea is shrinking.
08:37How about the environment?
08:39How about the flood?
08:41How about climate change?
08:43How about the livelihood
08:45of fishermen?
08:49Manila Bay is a rich
08:51sardine spot,
08:52spawning ground.
08:53It used to be in the top 10
08:55fishing grounds in the country.
08:56It's a rich ecosystem.
08:58In reclamation,
08:59there are corals,
09:00seagrass,
09:01mongrels, and sea serine.
09:02This is the nursery
09:04of our fishermen.
09:06How will they grow?
09:08They will destroy
09:09their habitat.
09:11Magdalena is also worried
09:13about how she will be able
09:15to make ends meet
09:16every day.
09:17They are both
09:18gradually losing
09:20their livelihood
09:21due to her mistery.
09:23The fishponds
09:24that we used to build
09:25have been destroyed.
09:27Now, we are living
09:28here in Taguiliran.
09:29The one from Pasig,
09:31Agos,
09:32is no longer
09:33connected to us.
09:34The Agos river
09:36has changed?
09:37Yes.
09:38Because reclamation
09:39is no longer allowed.
09:41Did you build this
09:42in the municipality?
09:44They were given
09:45training.
09:46Training for what?
09:47They were given
09:48a year's salary.
09:49The salary is
09:51one to eight months.
09:53Before they grow up.
09:54Before they grow up.
09:55We have to wait
09:56for eight months
09:57before we can fish
09:58and eat.
09:59What solutions
10:00do you see?
10:01We can't
10:02teach them
10:03how to reclaim.
10:04Maybe it will
10:05continue.
10:07Her husband's
10:08illness is
10:09causing
10:10more problems.
10:11He was attacked
10:12by high blood pressure.
10:13He was stressed
10:14because of our fishponds
10:15that were destroyed.
10:17They gave us
10:18a chance
10:19to live
10:20our lives.
10:21They told us
10:22not to
10:23give up.
10:24If we ask them,
10:25they will tell us
10:26that we need
10:27more land
10:28for our livelihood.
10:31For those
10:32who are rich,
10:33I hope that
10:34they won't
10:35give up
10:36their livelihood.
10:37We are also the ones
10:38who provide food
10:39to the rich.
10:40The fish
10:41that you cook
10:42and eat
10:43came from us.
10:44We are not
10:45the ones who are
10:46being racist.
10:47We are not the ones
10:48who are destroying.
10:49We are with them
10:50in their livelihood.
10:51Because we also
10:52know that
10:53other agencies
10:54are involved.
10:55All illegal structures
10:56within Manila Bay
10:57that don't have
10:58permits
10:59are being
11:00violated
11:01by the Supreme Court
11:02decision.
11:03That's why
11:04they are saying
11:05that they are
11:06with the reclamation
11:07because they were
11:08given the reclamation
11:09in 2020.
11:10Maybe they are
11:11just included
11:12in the issue.
11:13Others who were
11:14affected by the
11:15reclamation
11:16are being relocated
11:17like the fisherman
11:18Jeffrey
11:19from Paranaque.
11:20I agreed
11:21because
11:22they need
11:23a road.
11:24We will move
11:25to Cavite
11:26with 18,000.
11:27Here,
11:28we have
11:29fish.
11:30Now,
11:31half of it
11:32is here.
11:33Sometimes,
11:34there's none.
11:35Because he
11:36couldn't find
11:37a job
11:38in the new
11:39relocation
11:40to them,
11:41Jeffrey
11:42couldn't do anything
11:43but return
11:44to Paranaque.
11:45But because
11:46their old
11:47house was
11:48demolished,
11:49they are now
11:50living in
11:51their floating
11:52house
11:53in the middle
11:54of the bay.
11:55There's nothing
11:56there.
11:57We don't have
11:58anything to buy.
11:59We are fighting
12:00for our livelihood
12:01here.
12:02But because of
12:03the government,
12:04we have nothing
12:05to do.
12:06A well-known
12:07geologist,
12:08Professor Kelvin
12:09Rodolfo,
12:10Professor Emeritus
12:11in Earth and
12:12Environmental Sciences
12:13at the University
12:14of Illinois
12:15in America,
12:16conducted
12:17a study
12:18about the
12:19effects of
12:20reclamation
12:21projects in
12:22Manila Bay.
12:23According to
12:24his study,
12:25reclamation
12:26projects in
12:27Manila Bay
12:28are not only
12:29polluting,
12:30but also
12:31degrading
12:32the soil.
12:33The soil
12:34can also
12:35dry up,
12:36which is
12:37very dangerous.
12:38We used to
12:39water here,
12:40but when
12:41the flood
12:42came,
12:43we were
12:44forced to
12:45leave.
12:46For example,
12:47our sea
12:48is like
12:49a bucket of
12:50water.
12:51If we
12:52put a rock
12:53in the middle
12:54of a bucket
12:55of water,
12:56it's not
12:57feasible
12:58to do
12:59reclamation
13:00in Manila Bay
13:01because
13:02the water
13:03is so
13:04narrow.
13:05It's not
13:06a force of
13:07nature.
13:08It's because
13:09of this
13:10man-made,
13:11humanity-induced
13:12pressures that
13:13we are doing.
13:14And there
13:15will be
13:16more.
13:17We got
13:18permission
13:19from the
13:20government
13:21agency
13:22that is
13:23in charge
13:24of
13:25the
13:26reclamation
13:27projects.
13:28We
13:29are
13:30doing
13:31this
13:32because
13:33we
13:34need
13:35space.
13:36We
13:37need
13:38economic
13:39movement.
13:40The
13:41problem is
13:42that there
13:43are
13:44other
13:45effects
13:46of the
13:47reclamation
13:48projects.
13:49First is
13:50the
13:51nature.
13:52How
13:53do
13:54we
13:55do
13:56this?
13:57It's
13:58not
13:59feasible
14:00to do
14:01reclamation
14:02in Manila
14:03Bay
14:04because
14:05the water
14:06is so
14:07narrow.
14:08It's
14:09not
14:10feasible
14:11to do
14:12reclamation
14:13in Manila
14:14Bay
14:15because
14:16the water
14:17is so
14:18narrow.
14:19It's not
14:20feasible
14:21to do
14:22reclamation
14:23in Manila
14:24Bay
14:25because
14:26the water
14:27is so
14:28narrow.
14:29It's
14:30not
14:31feasible
14:32to do
14:33reclamation
14:34in Manila
14:35Bay
14:36because
14:37the water
14:38is so
14:39narrow.
14:40It's
14:41not
14:42feasible
14:43to do
14:44reclamation
14:45in Manila
14:46Bay
14:47because
14:48the water
14:49is so
14:50narrow.
14:51It's
14:52not
14:53feasible
14:54to do
14:55reclamation
14:56in Manila
14:57Bay
14:58because
14:59the water
15:00is so
15:01narrow.
15:02It's
15:03not
15:04feasible
15:05to do
15:06reclamation
15:07in Manila
15:08Bay
15:09because
15:10the water
15:11is so
15:12narrow.
15:13It's
15:14not
15:15feasible
15:16to do
15:17reclamation
15:18in Manila
15:19Bay
15:20because
15:21the water
15:22is so
15:23narrow.
15:24It's
15:25not
15:26feasible
15:27to do
15:28reclamation
15:29in Manila
15:30Bay
15:31because
15:32the water
15:33is so
15:34narrow.
15:35It's
15:36not
15:37feasible
15:38to do
15:39reclamation
15:40in Manila
15:41Bay
15:42because
15:43the water
15:44is so
15:45narrow.
15:46It's
15:47not
15:48feasible
15:49to do
15:50reclamation
15:51in Manila
15:52Bay
15:53because
15:54the water
15:55is so
15:56narrow.
15:57It's
15:58not
15:59feasible
16:00to do
16:01reclamation
16:02in Manila
16:03Bay
16:04because
16:05the water
16:06is so
16:07narrow.
16:08It's
16:09not
16:10feasible
16:11to do
16:12reclamation
16:13in Manila
16:14Bay
16:15because
16:16the water
16:17is so
16:18narrow.
16:19It's
16:20not
16:21feasible
16:22to do
16:23reclamation
16:24in Manila
16:25Bay
16:26because
16:27the water
16:28is so
16:29narrow.
16:30It's
16:31not
16:32feasible
16:33to do
16:34reclamation
16:35in Manila
16:36Bay
16:37because
16:38the water
16:39is so
16:40narrow.
16:41It's
16:42not
16:43feasible
16:44to do
16:45reclamation
16:46in Manila
16:47Bay
16:48because
16:49the water
16:50is so
16:51narrow.
16:52It's
16:53not
16:54feasible
16:55to do
16:56reclamation
16:57in Manila
16:58Bay
16:59because
17:00the water
17:01is so
17:02narrow.
17:04Only 2 out of 20 projects are being done now.
17:10But now, we can already see the effects of this on the safety and well-being of fishermen.
17:18What if other similar projects are to be followed?
17:23I hope that this will not affect the well-being and safety of fishermen.
17:35Thank you for watching, Kapuso!
17:37If you liked this video, subscribe to the GMA Public Affairs YouTube channel
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