Seawall project divides residents of Poro town

CEBU, Philippines — The stimulating feeling of wading through shallow waters while collecting oysters, sea cucumbers, and fish within the seashores of Poro town in Camotes Island to make a good “kinilaw” is something that 46-year-old pedicab driver Mario Lacturan wished would last for a lifetime.

This experience, however, is now threatened by the proposed construction of a seawall that stretches 193 meters from an existing reclamation area towards the barangay gymnasium in Eastern Poblacion.

Residents in the coastal barangay are divided on the proposed government project because it does not only threaten their livelihood, it will also alter the beautiful seascape of the place.

Because of the impending change in their shore’s natural state, Lacturan feels that soon they will no longer have the same amount of benefits from the free bounties of the sea as before.

A group of concerned citizens who requested anonymity said that any development at the expense of the environment/marine resources is a big no for them. One said that what disappoints them is the absence of public consultation regarding the scope of the project.

They say that some people and even some officials already know that the breaker is just a front for the real and bigger project which is an extension of the existing reclamation project.

According to the concerned citizens, the illegal reclamation was already issued a cease and desist order by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

“We just want to save our “hunasan”, wala nami coastline kung ila pajung gub-on ug samot,” they said.

But for friends Melvin Argallon, 24, and Alvin Estrera, 23,  they will just abide by the decision of their local officials.

Retired public school teacher Virgilio Labayan also sees the proposed project as a good initiative. The additional leisure space and walking areas is ideal for a growing community, and for the senior folks like him to relax and unwind, he said.

Mayor Luciano B. Rama Jr. said the proposed project is to be funded out of the P50 million grant from a German company. He said that after super typhoon Yolanda hit the town four years ago, many foreign companies and governments offered financial support through different reconstruction projects.

One German company, the KFW, through the aid of Land Bank as conduit, agreed to grant the town P50 million for any reconstruction project or to construct any infrastructure that can protect the constituents from a similar disaster in the future.

Rama said he asked the company to divide the sum. He wanted to allocate P35M for the construction of the seawall and have P15M set aside for the repairs of the coastal roads. However it took too long for all the paper works to be processed until such time that DPWH had already finished repairing the roads.

 Since the roads were already fixed, Rama tried to ask KFW that the P15M allocated for it be added to the 35M for the seawall construction. But the firm denied the request thus leaving Poro with the P35M budget for the seawall.

“I want to be transparent about this and let my people know that I never benefited from the deal, ug never nako na gibulsa ang kwarta,” he said.

He said there was public hearing conducted two years ago in his office and the proposal was supported by his constituents. During the meeting it was discussed that part of the project is the aligning of proper sewage system.

Rama pointed out that those who oppose are just few. He said most of them are not living along the shoreline, and that many are no longer living on Camotes Island. He said they are always welcome to see him in the office to be enlightened.

“I’m just trying to build the tourism and economic potential of Poro and provide them with the much needed protection most especially the town center. That is why the proposed seawall is strategically planned to be situated adjacent to the center,” Rama said.

He said it is also prohibited to build house within the 20 to 40 meters from the shoreline. (FREEMAN)