Experts back Manila Bay reclamation project

MANILA, Philippines - The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and an urban development expert expressed support yesterday for a plan of Manila Mayor Alfredo Lim to build a reclamation project on a portion of Manila Bay.

MGB director Leo Jasareno and architect Felino “Jun” Palafox Jr. said the project could be “Metro Manila’s best defense against climate change.”

“Reclamation is a normal development option and can be good if properly engineered and the drainage system (is) properly installed,” Jasareno told reporters in Manila in a press conference. He cited the successful reclamation of land in Singapore Changi airport and the new Hong Kong airport.

The MGB official dispelled fears that reclamation would cause flooding, citing a study by the University of the Philippines National Institute of Geological Science.

“Studies show that some parts of Metro Manila experience land subsidence due to overextraction of ground water and water from wells. Sea level will continue to rise due to global warming… The land is sinking while sea level continues to rise,” he explained.

Palafox shared this opinion. “If done properly, it is the solution to flooding in Metro Manila. It is the solution to tsunami; the solution to storm surges; solution to (producing) additional prime land,” he said.

Palafox also said reclaimed land may be designed as a natural barrier against tidal waves.

Citing as an example the reclamation plan in Dubai that he had designed, Palafox explained that concerns about the economy and the environment may be addressed simultaneously through proper planning.

“Dubai was able to expand its waterfront from 70 kilometers to 2000 kilometers through reclamation. The Philippines has the world’s third longest waterfront but we don’t use our waterfronts properly,” he said.

Palafox designed two reclamation megaprojects in Dubai, the Palm Islands Resort and Map of the World. Both are acknowledged modern architectural wonders and tourism destinations, he said.

Debunking fears of environmental groups opposing the reclamation plan of Lim, Jasareno and Palafox said none of the countries they cited had encountered adverse environmental results due to reclamation.

The reclamation involves a portion of the bay at the back of Philippine Navy and the Manila Yacht Club, its proponents said. It was approved by the city council through Ordinance 8233 and the city government signed a consortium agreement with real estate development firm Manila Goldcoast Development Corp. last April for this project.