MANILA, Philippines — Urban poor families along the waterways of Manila Bay fear possible eviction over the hotly-contested "white sand" beach project, which could potentially leave them nowhere to go amid the coronavirus pandemic.
In a statement sent to Philstar.com, Kabalikat sa Kaunlaran, a people's organization of residents of Baseco Compound in Port Area, Manila said that a looming eviction would displace 230,000 informal settlers’ families living in the area.
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This comes amid calls for the government to halt its project to build an artificial "white sand" beach on the shore of Manila Bay, which environmental groups have also said violates at least five environmental and cultural laws.
Kabalikat sa Kaunlaran president Jeorgie Tenolete said: "The fear of eviction among Baseco families have always haunted us every time that the government does cosmetic rehabilitation in the Manila Bay. It simply says that poor people and their houses are eyesores and therefore these must go away."
"Based on our understanding and experience, reclamations will make us more vulnerable to disaster...Also, beautification projects always come along with the reclamation plan. Last year, families from the 20-meter easement were notified of relocation by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the same agency that gave the go signal the dumping of dolomite ‘white sand.’ I hope eviction will not happen at this time of pandemic,” Tenolete said.
'Urban poor families doing their part for Manila Bay rehab'
Joining other environmental groups, Kabalikat sa Kaunlaran also contested the notion that the state of the bay is due to the activities of urban poor families.
Figures from the World Bank and the National Solid Waste Management Commission in November 2019 suggest that the 300,000 informal settler families targeted for relocation, around 1.38 million people, only contributed 5.01% of solid waste in the bay.
READ: Do informal settlers really contribute most of the waste in Manila Bay?
“When the government is asked why [they] relocate families living along the Manila Bay, they will always tell us that the urban poor pollutes the Bay because we have no trash cans, we have no toilets, and that the only way to end the vicious cycle of us polluting the Bay or waterways is through relocation. This statement is difficult to accept because we have been doing our share to help clean and rehabilitate the Bay," Mayeth Betasolo, the group's secretary said.
The group highlighted that ever the residents have long felt that their days in Baseco were numbered ever since the Duterte administration launched its Manila Bay rehabilitation, saying that in 1,000 families are in danger of displacement in the Baseco compound alone.
Non-profit NGO Urban Poor Associates added in the statement that the residents are not against the Manila Bay Rehabilitation Project, only the threat of eviction. The organization pointed to other unlawful evictions that have taken place during the coronavirus-induced lockdowns, saying it may happen again.
READ: PNR management 'notes' that its Cabuyao evictions are 'illegal'
“In 2010 we planted 1,000 mangrove trees in Aplaya, Baseco. No one believed us that Mangroves could grow and thrive along the shores of Baseco shore. But after ten years after, our Mangroves have grown tall and sturdy. For the past ten years, we made sure that we took good care of our Mangroves," Betasolo said.
"We believe that this is the right and genuine way to rehabilitate the Manila Bay. Also, to help reduce the waste along the bay, we gathered the water lilies and made use of them for our livelihood projects. We have produced slippers, bags and plate mats out of dried water lilies.”
Tenolete also highlighted that his group, along with Urban Poor Associates proposed as early as 2012 a Baseco people's development plan that would have alleviated the living situation of the 13,000 families in the area at the time.
However, he said, the number has since skyrocketed to 22,000 families, all now at risk of eviction.
The housing and development plan, a copy of which was acquired by Philstar.com, covers the area's 54 hectares and included a master list of families in Baseco.
“I hope the government will not only see us as polluters but as citizens who through our small initiatives and contributions definitely help in the rehabilitation of the Manila Bay,” Tenolete said.