A Church-civil society ecological group is leading a human chain protest against the controversial reclamation projects in Manila Bay.
The Eco-Convergence, a group formed in 2019 to promote Pope Francis’ Laudato Si encyclical, said the human chain will be formed along the stretch of Roxas Boulevard on October 18.
The protest, dubbed “Save Our Sunset, Save Manila Bay,” aims to call for a “total ban” on reclamation in Manila Bay, according to them.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. announced in August that his government had suspended nearly two dozen land reclamation projects in Manila Bay.
Marcos said he made the decision to assess the projects’ environmental and social impact.
Prior to this, the US Embassy raised concerns over the 318-hectare project’s environmental impact and the involvement of a Chinese firm.
Despite Marcos’ decision, the Eco-Convergence said they still “find it lacking in decisive political will to represent the voices and stance of the communities and ecosystems severely affected by the reclamation projects.”
They are also calling for the issuance of an executive order or legislation “that will halt and prohibit all reclamation projects” in Manila Bay.
