Tayud residents sign manifesto vs Consolacion reclamation project

CEBU, Philippines —  Residents of Barangay Tayud  in Consolacion town whose livelihood depend on the shipyard operations are seeking the stoppage of the municipality’s 235-hectare reclamation project.

At least 120 residents signed a manifesto of appeal, asking President Rodrigo Duterte to put a stop to the Seafront City project which will not only affect their livelihood but also their homes.

These residents include habal-habal drivers, tricycle drivers, operators of carenderia (eatery) and owners of boarding houses that serve workers and visitors of the six shipyards that operate in Barangay Tayud.

The other signatories are fisherfolk who do not only live along the shorelines of Barangay Tayud but also rely on fishing as source of income.

“We are poor residents who can't afford to live in expensive subdivisions or get an apartment unit. We survive on fishing and doing hard labor like working in shipyards that are located in our barangay.  Some of us, like the vendors and tricycle and habal-habal drivers, earn from the operation of the shipyards and other businesses in our community,” they said in their petition.

“And the risk of losing both our homes and our source of livelihood while we are still suffering from a pandemic is unbearable. We are begging that you listen to our pleas,” read a portion of the petition which they signed on Sunday, October 17.

To disprove claims by Mayor Joannes Alegado and other town officials that Barangay Tayud is no longer rich in marine resources, a group of at least 20 fishermen went out to the sea near the shipyards to catch fish early Sunday morning.

The fishermen were later joined in by their wives and children for the ceremonial signing of a petition addressed to Duterte at the mangroves swamp in their area to show how the proposed project would lead to the destruction of the marine habitat there.

“We are registered voters of Barangay Tayud and most of us have lived in the barangay all our lives.  This was where we were born, where we studied, got married and raised our children,” the petition read.

“Despite the development that is now being enjoyed by our locality, many of us continue to fish or earn from the bounty of sea, something that we inherited from our forefathers. Mr. President, we are knocking at your kind heart and are appealing that you listen to our pleas,” it added.

They lamented that they were never consulted by the municipal government nor were they invited to a public hearing on the project.

Tayud residents were the second group who filed a petition to the President against the project.

At least 2,000 workers of the six affected shipyards filed a petition that was sent last week, expressing opposition against the project as they too were not consulted about the proposed reclamation.

The Consolacion municipal government has partnered with a private consortium—La Consolacion Seafront Development Corporation (LCSDC)—to undertake the 235.8- hectare “Seafront City” reclamation project on the coastlines of Barangay Tayud.

Incidentally, Securities and Exchange Commission records showed that the LCSDC was only incorporated last Oct. 31, 2019 with a capitalization of P10 million. Among the incorporators were incumbent Rep. Victor Yap of Tarlac and his brother, Jose Yap Jr., who was the former mayor of San Jose town in Tarlac.

Based on the 2020 census, Tayud’s population reached to more than 23,000. At least 31.25 percent of the population is minors who depend on their parents for survival.

While they are not against progress and development, residents and other affected sectors are asking government officials to also consider them and their welfare in the decision-making process.

“The Consolacion LGU (local government unit) must focus on addressing the basic needs and well-being of the residents, especially that we’re struggling in the middle of the Covid-19 pandemic,” said Edward Ligas, former Commissioner of the Presidential Commission on Urban Poor. — PR, KQD (FREEMAN)