Gadon, PCCI push Pasay coastal projects
Reclamation is not bad. Singapore and Tell Aviv sea fronts are reclaimed areas. Even the critics there are now also benefiting from those reclamation projects.
(Photo from Larry Gadon / Facebook)
Daily TribuneReclamation is not bad. Singapore and Tell Aviv sea fronts are reclaimed areas. Even the critics there are now also benefiting from those reclamation projects.
(Photo from Larry Gadon / Facebook)
Presidential anti-poverty adviser Larry Gadon and Philippine Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Sergio Ortiz-Luis Jr. called on the Department of the Environment and Natural Resources to come up with a clear policy on Manila waterfront reclamation projects.
Secretary Gadon and Ortiz were joined by labor leaders in a Partners' Forum at the Quezon City Sports Club in backing the suspension of projects that had been found to have violated the country's environmental laws.
However, they pushed for those undertakings that have not run afoul of pertinent laws and regulations, including the two projects in Pasay City that have been in the pipeline since 2017.
"I am only concerned with job generation. The Marcos administration is aware that the best solution to poverty alleviation is job generation," Gadon said. "Aside from job generation, I believe it is important to have new tax sources."
Ortiz said as much as P40 million is lost each day from the two stalled projects.
"The benefits to be derived are big. Stalling it will derail economic growth. Architect (Felino) Palafox even has a study conducted on the projects that may serve as barriers to tsunamis," Ortiz-Luis said.
In November, President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. exempted from the reclamation project suspension orders the Pasay Eco-City Coastal Development program, and the SM Smart City Infrastructure and Development Corp. projects.
The two are known as the "Pasay 265" project of the Pasay Harbor Corp. covering 265 hectares; and "Pasay 380" of the SM Group which would be connected to the Mall of Asia complex.
The coastal development projects have already acquired environmental compliance certificates and area clearances from the DENR and the Philippine Reclamation Authority, respectively.
Likewise, the Pasay City government said the projects have also been declared compliant with other issuances from the PRA and the local government.
Amorsolo Competente of the Lakas Manggagawa Labor Center said thousands of Filipino workers would benefit from the two reclamation projects in Pasay City.
"Reclamation is not bad. Singapore and Tell Aviv sea fronts are reclaimed areas. Even the critics there are now also benefitting from those reclamation projects," Competente said.
Christopher Bautista, president of the Kapisanan ng mga Manggagawa sa GOCC at GFIs (Goverment Owned Controlled Corporation, Goverment Financial Institutions), cited the Philippine Reclamation Authority's pronouncement that the two projects are compliant with laws.
"We're one with Secretary Gadon. We should not be reactive to this issue. We are pushing for the 'ease of doing business, yet we are obstructing these projects," Bautista said.
The group said the DENR should assess each reclamation project and not issue general orders covering all undertakings.