A church-based civil society group is set to hold a human chain protest on October 18 at the Rajah Sulayman Park in Malate, Manila against reclamation activities at Manila Bay.
In a statement, the Church-CSO Empowerment for Environmental Sustainability (Eco-Convergence) is inviting the public to join the protest action.
“The Human Chain Against Manila Bay Reclamation – Save Our Sunset, Save Manila Bay aims to call for a total ban of reclamation in Manila Bay,” said Eco-Convergence.
“It also calls for an immediate issuance of an executive order or certify a legislation will stop and forbid all reclamation projects in Manila Bay,” it added.
The group, formed in 2019 to promote Pope Francis’ Laudato Si encyclical, said such protest actions are necessary to elicit stronger and firmer action from the Marcos administration regarding the reclamation projects.
“We find it lacking decisive political will to manifest the voices and stand of the communities and ecosystems severely affected by the reclamation projects,” said Eco-Convergence.
Last August, President Marcos Jr. announced that all 22 reclamation projects in Manila Bay are being suspended to give way to the assessment of their environmental and social impacts.
According to the fishers’ group Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya), dump-and-fill and other reclamation activities are continuing in Manila Bay.
According to Eco-Convergence, the assembly will start at 4 p.m. followed by a short program at the Rajah Sulayman Park.
This will be followed by the forming of a human chain stretching from the US Embassy to the Cultural Center of the Philippines in the baywalk fronting Manila Bay, and the lighting of candles.
