The militant Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (PAMALAKAYA) chided the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as the agency led a coconut tree-planting activity along Roxas Boulevard as an added attraction to beach nourishment project along Manila Bay.
“Still absurd, trying hard, waste of public resources, and simply for aesthetics with a meager to no contribution to the rehabilitation of Manila Bay,” Fernando Hicap, National coordinator of PAMALAKAYA said in a statement.
According to Hicap, although it is natural for coconut palm trees to grow in coastlines, it has “nothing to do with” addressing the environmental degradation of Manila Bay.
“Just because it’s natural doesn’t mean it is necessary and priority to restore the bay’s ecosystem. Planting of coconut palm trees along the shores reflects the government’s thrust on Manila Bay a rehabilitation which is solely based on external beautification, rather than restoration of its marine and fishery resources.”
PAMALAKAYA has strongly criticized the beach nourishment project of the DENR and the Department of Public Works and Highways which involved the dumping of crushed dolomite to mimic the white sand beach of Boracay, the country’s top tourist destination, in Malay, Aklan.
The former Anakpawis Party-list Representative slammed Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu for his alleged “misplaced priorities and taking the opposite track” of the Supreme Court’s continuing mandamus to clean-up, restore, and rehabilitate Manila Bay.
“The DENR has completely lost touch with the reality by ridiculously envisioning a tropical paradise in Manila Bay when small fisherfolks and coastal residents actually need restoration of fishery resources for their livelihood and food security,” Hicap, also a fisherman based in Cavite said.
Instead of coconut trees, the group proposed the restoration of mangrove forests and seagrasses that are vital to Manila Bay’s ecosystem and biodiversity that serve as fish sanctuaries, pollution filter, and coastal communities’ flood defense.