DENR issues stop order for Boljoon reclamation

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources in Central Visayas (DENR-7) issued a cease and desist order (CDO) against an  8,000 square meter reclamation project in  Boljoon town because it has no Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).

The CDO issued last December 12 to Boljoon Mayor Merlou Derama was signed by Regional Director William Cunado of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB-7).

Environment  Secretary Ramon Paje, who was in Cebu yesterday,  reminded the Boljoon municipal government to review the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) guidelines.

“Kindly respect the law and don’t take  advantage of the weaknesses of the law. I am telling them to review the guidelines because they might be losing what they are putting there,¨ he told  reporters .

The P43.9 million project of the Dept. of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 4th engineering district first angered coastal fishermen but the protest has cooled off and the town council on Monday passed a resolution supporting it.

Dumping of limestone from Ili Rock to the coast below started in November to  establish a 20-meter-wide paved strip from the foot of the cliff  to the barangay hall of the poblacion.

Violators  face a P50,000 fine for undertaking a project without an approved ECC based on  Presidential Decree 1586 or the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System law. Paje said reclamation work is considered  an environmentally critical  project.

“In the environmental impact assessment, a full blown assessment also requires social acceptability,¨ Paje said.

He said there must be thorough consultation and  discussion of mitigating  measures.

“If they can prove scientifically and can mitigate the environmental impact then we actually allow the project.  It has to pass through that process.  They can’t escape it.  And that process includes social acceptability,” Paje said.

Paje said the DENR won’t allow reclamation in areas where it would cause widespread destruction of  coral reefs or marine life.

“We are not averse to reclamation but it has to be done correctly, scientifically and it must solve the issue on typhoon surge, geohazards and spare the community from flooding,” Paje said.

“There is a new way of doing it that you will not expose people into hazard or protect communities from hazards. As long as they can raise the coastline to 5-7 meters for example. You can already save the people from the surge,” he said.

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