Tayud shipyard workers seek Duterte’s help to stop Consolacion reclamation project
This shipyard in Barangay Tayud also does repair and maintenance works for government-owned vessels that are being used by the Philippine Coast Guard and the Philippine Navy. | Contributed photo
MANDAUE CITY, Cebu – Over 2,000 shipyard workers in Barangay Tayud in the Consolacion town are asking President Rodrigo Duterte to stop a plan to reclaim their shorelines.
In a signed petition, workers said they will be left without jobs if the project is pursued.
“What will happen to us and our families then? Where do we go from here since shipbuilding and ship repair are all that we know?,” reads a portion of the petition that they signed in September.
They will also be sending copies of their petition to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE), and Municipality of Consolacion.
Earlier, Consolacion officials announced their plan to undertake the Sea Front City Project, a 234.80-hectare mix-used project that is envisioned to become an international economic hub.
They are now in the process of securing the permits needed for its implementation.
Afraid of losing their jobs, workers from six of the eight shipyards in Consolacion town signed a petition to ask President Duterte to stop the reclamation project. Workers from the two other shipyards are yet to sign the petition because they remain unorganized.
Workers also claimed that they were never consulted on the project.
The operation of shipyards in Barangay Tayud has been a major contributor to the local economy and shipping industry in the last five decades, they said.
“Our shipyards have thousands of employees and we contribute millions to the municipal government’s coffers and the local economy each year. This comes in the form of taxes, salaries paid to our workers, and the supplies that we buy,” the petition reads.
“The shipyards in Barangay Tayud also cater to hundreds of ships, both privately or government-owned. Where will these vessels go for repair if our shipyards are replaced with reclaimed land?”
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