Senators hail decision to stop Manila Bay reclamation projects --- By Javier Joe Ismael and Bernadette E. Tamayo

SEN. Cynthia Villar on Wednesday welcomed President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.'s decision to suspend all reclamation activities in Manila Bay. "I am happy that President Marcos is suspending the reclamation in Manila Bay. This is good news to us who are afraid of the ill-effects of reclamation which will cause massive flooding in our cities," Villar told reporters in a text message. Marcos suspended all ongoing Manila Bay reclamation activities except for one pending the review of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). "All are suspended, all reclamation projects are under review, except for one, which was allowed to push through as it was reviewed already," the President said during a situation briefing in Malolos City. The chairman of the Senate Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Climate Change had earlier sought the intervention of the Supreme Court to stop the ongoing Manila Bay reclamation project, noting she would call for a Senate inquiry into the project. On Dec. 18, 2008, the Supreme Court directed 13 government agencies to clean up, rehabilitate and preserve Manila Bay, and restore and maintain its waters to make them fit for swimming, skin-diving and other forms of contact recreation. Villar said there were no consultations on the reclamation project, alleging government officials merely "signed and sign" contract papers. Meanwhile, Sen. Ana Theresia "Risa" Hontiveros urged the government to reject all China-funded reclamation projects in the Philippines. She cited reports that two of the six initially approved reclamation projects in Manila Bay are executed by China Harbor Engineering Co. Ltd., a subsidiary of China state-owned Communications Construction Co. (CCCC).

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