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A party-list lawmaker is seeking an investigation into the status of the Manila Bay reclamation projects and its consequential effects on national security and the environment, the Philippine News Agency said.
ACT-CIS Party-list Rep. Erwin Tulfo filed House Resolution 1171 today, directing the House Committee on National Defense and Security and the House Committee on Ecology to look into the ongoing and proposed reclamation projects within Manila Bay, which could have potential implications on the country’s national security.
Tulfo noted that the reclamation projects may pose a danger to the Philippines’ security after the U.S. government recently raised concerns that the reclamation projects have ties to the China Communications Construction Co. (CCCC), which was cited by the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank for engaging in fraudulent business practices.
“I have read in several news reports that one of the companies involved in the reclamation project in Manila Bay right now is a construction firm from Mainland China, the China Construction Company. And this same construction company, the news reports added, was also involved in the construction of an airbase and naval base of China in the West Philippine Sea,” Tulfo said.
Tulfo said that while the ongoing land reclamation may offer potential economic benefits and development opportunities, it also raises concerns about its environmental impact, such as the alteration of coastal processes and the possible effects on water quality and marine biodiversity.
The official also clarified that he is not against any development or growth in the country, especially if it is beneficial to the people.
CCCC’s subsidiary China Harbour Engineering Company Ltd. is currently undertaking the reclamation development project at Manila Bay, about five kilometers from downtown Manila and Ninoy Aquino International Airport.
The project includes backfilling to form three artificial islands and related supporting revetment structures and foundation treatment, according to CCCC website.