Toledo fisherfolk slam Tanon Strait commercialization

Following a fluvial protest by Cebu fisherfolk, another demonstration was held in Toledo City, Cebu, against the commercialization of the Tanon Strait and ongoing environmental damage.

Deogracias Baritus, president of the Dumlog Fisherfolk Association and the Aroma Homeowners Association in Sitio Aroma, Dumlog, Toledo City, stated that their traditional fishing grounds, the Tanon Strait Protected Seascape, continue to suffer from the environmental impacts of eight coal-fired power plants.

He cited that six of these plants were constructed after 1998, despite the strait’s protected status.

“This has led to a decline in fish catch, and during kulyada, which has become more prolonged due to global warming, we sometimes have no rice to cook for our families,” Baritus said. “Many of our members are even forced to seek help from politicians just to obtain rice.”

Florencia Abatayo, an official of the Aroma Homeowners Association, lamented that ecological violations have persisted despite arrests and charges filed in connection with the cutting down of 2,377 mangroves in Dumlog.

Their groups had filed a complaint with the Toledo City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) on 21 December 2021. One ongoing violation, she said, is the construction of an illegal reclamation project along the riverbank of Barangay Daanglungsod, opposite Dumlog, near the river’s inlet before it flows into the Tanon Strait.

In its 11 November 2024, Inspection Report, the Toledo CENRO acknowledged the existence of the reclamation project.

“The reclamation has covered a large area of the Hinulawan River... and people are worried whether the project complies with national agencies requirements (e.g. Environmental Compliance Certificate) and where it has the necessary permits from relevant authorities,” it said.

The report also highlighted concerns about the project’s riprap structure, which it said alters the river’s natural flow. The CENRO warned that the altered flow could divert water toward the adjacent community of Sitio Aroma, Dumlog, increasing the risk of flooding and potential disasters, especially during typhoon season.

Additionally, the Toledo CENRO noted that mangrove trees, previously visible from the Dumlog side, could no longer be seen, raising further concerns about illegal mangrove cutting.