In 1954, President Ramon Magsaysay set aside a large area of land from Manila to Pasay and Parañaque, which would later be known as the “Manila Bay Beach Resort.” President Diosdado Macapagal later modified the plan to exclude the lot currently occupied by the Philippine Navy HQ. To address environmental concerns, Republic Act No. 7586 was enacted during the Ramos administration, which had implications for Manila Bay. Previously, Manila had banned any reclamation along the bay to protect the vista from the US Embassy to the Cultural Center of the Philippines (CCP), but this ordinance was later repealed by the city council.
It was the US Embassy that played a significant role in halting reclamation projects due to the potential danger it posed to their presence and concerns over Chinese state firm subsidiaries’ involvement. Consequently, the President implemented a blanket moratorium, with the environment secretary promising a comprehensive review of projects rather than handling them individually. A workshop was conducted in 2019 to provide science-based advice to the government, which hopefully has influenced current decision-making.
The scope of Manila Bay goes far beyond what we typically imagine. It spans three regions, eight provinces, and 178 LGUs, with the port of Manila covering an aggregate area of 100 square kilometers. The central debate centers around reclamation itself, questioning whether it should be allowed. It’s worth noting that much of what we find attractive about Manila today is the result of previous reclamation efforts. For instance, while working on a map of the British invasion in 1762, I realized that a significant portion of Manila, including the beach and shoreline, is reclaimed land. Bonifacio Drive along Intramuros and the vicinity of A. Mabini in Malate roughly align with the former coastline. Many developments we consider modern, such as the Port Area and the area around the Quirino Grandstand, date back to the early 20th century, and the US Embassy compound and the service road of Roxas Boulevard in Pasay can be traced back to prewar Commonwealth reclamation.
During my research on Imelda Marcos and the CCP in 2020, I discovered the role she played in continuing reclamation projects initially started by the disgraced American tycoon, Harry Stonehill. Both eras, the Stonehill and Marcos periods, contributed to vast reclamations, including the 88-hectare CCP complex in Manila and the 100-hectare GSIS and PNB areas in Pasay, which were left semi-abandoned until the private sector transformed them into viable developments.
Opposition to reclamation has historically come from property owners concerned about declining land values and heritage advocates worried about the disappearance of landmarks and historical sites. Recent environmental concerns have further motivated a committed constituency aimed at opposing any development. Additionally, the government’s history of corruption makes it easy to criticize projects as driven by private greed at the expense of the public. However, sudden stoppages, despite good intentions, harm the country’s reputation and hinder investments, leading to both immediate and cumulative economic consequences. Even the local market has been negatively affected, as evidenced by news from the stock market.
Given Manila’s high population density, the city requires additional land, a factor the private sector acknowledges and can address more efficiently than the national government. The government’s role should be to act consistently, predictably, and fairly, creating an environment conducive to a flourishing economy. The current approach is too broad, causing unintended damage while failing to specifically address the issues at hand. There is room for improvement in our decision-making processes.
Email: [email protected]; Twitter: @mlq3
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