Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Davao Region (DENR-Davao) said the concern of environmental groups about the Paradise Reefs being damaged once the Samal Island and Davao City Bridge (SIDC) project starts is valid, but they said the reef can be rehabilitated.
“Valid na man po ‘yong kanilang thoughts on what will happen pag merong development (Their concerns are valid with regards to this development) but I think DPWH already has projects in mind for the rehabilitation,” Dominic Cabactulan, officer-in-charge of the Coastal Resource and Foreshore Management Section (CRFMS) of the DENR-Davao said on December 16, 2022, during the One Davao Virtual Presser.
Cabactulan said coral rehabilitation is possible as they have been doing rehabilitation of coral reefs in Samal Island since 2012 and even replicated the project in other parts of Davao Region like in Mabini, Davao de Oro and Pujada Bay in Mati, Davao Oriental.
Cabactulan added that during their dive with the Rodriguez family, the owner of the affected SIDC project, they found out that there are coral communities in Paradise Reef, but he also said that these species in the coral communities were the same in Mabini and Pujada Bay.
However, in the previous interview with the Ecoteneo director Carmela Santos, an environmental group on November 25, with SunStar Davao, she said that the Department of Public Work and Highways only allocated P2 million for the rehabilitation of the coral reef ecosystem.
“That is not enough, anong breakdown ng P2 million? ‘Yong sasagasaan nilang marine protected areas is three hectares ‘yon (What is the breakdown of this P2 million? They will damage at least three hectares),” Santos said.
Santos said Paradise Reef is just part of the three-hectare area that will be affected by the SIDC project.
“Personally, I will never support a project that will destroy the coral reef ecosystem. Nasa climate crisis tayo, bakit tayo papayag na yong natitirang coral reef ecosystem natin na nagpo-protekta sa mga coastal areas from the storm surge, so bakit tayo papayag na matanggal yan? (We are currently experiencing a climate crisis, then we will allow this to happen? Who will protect us from storm surge?,” Santos said.
Aside from the destruction of the coral reef ecosystem, Santos and other environmental groups also raised concerns about how the DPWH gathered and processed the papers to push the SIDC project.
“Napaka-careless na maggamit ng documents na para naman sa ibang purpose, ‘yong barangay certification, ‘yong endorse sa city council nong 2019 na premature, wala pang EIS, wala pang ECC (Environmental Compliance Certificate), so wala pang mga specifics, so paano ka mag-endorse ng something hindi naman detalyado? (It is so careless to use documents meant for other purposes, the barangay certification, the endorsement in 2019 was premature, and no EIS and ECC yet, no specifics yet, so how can you endorse this project?),” she said. KSD