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VOLUME XXIV No. 29
Tagbilaran City, Bohol, Philippines
January 30, 2011 issue
 

Recla proponent to back off if study proves that it's threat to the environment

 

Balancing development with environment protection underlines the contention of Oasis Leisure Island Development, Inc. (OLIDI) in trying to gain benefit of the doubt from the present provincial leadership and anti-reclamation group called Panglao Nature Advocates (PANA). OLIDI president Norris Oculam explained that the eco-land development project they proposed is still at the concept stage and that an impact assessment on the biodiversity at the specific project sites will determine if it will be environmentally viable and be allowed to proceed. An organization of fishermen, low tide foragers and residents of three affected barangays—Doljo, Danao and Poblacion—called Kalamdag pushed for the biodiversity impact study to determine the extent of the project and to come up with updated and credible data to either affirm or dispute the opposition of PANA and other sectors instead of denouncing the project outright based on emotions.

Kalamdag stands for KALihukan Alang sa Maayong DAGan sa kinaiyahan, kalamboan ug kabuhian sa lungsod sa Panglao (movement geared towards positive trend of nature, development and livelihood in the town of Panglao). Kalamdag pushes for an updated, objective and site-specific study, instead of the old and very general assessment made years ago that some sectors intended to use to justify their opposition to the project. Oculam assured that OLIDI will back off the eco-land development project if the result of the biodiversity impact study will show that it will cause irreversible damage to the environment as they also find it useless to pursue a project that is unattractive to investors. OLIDI's legal consultant, lawyer Carlos Castillo, explained that the five islets that OLIDI proposed to construct, under a Joint Venture Development Agreement with the provincial government, would only total to about 450 hectares which is just a fraction of one percent of the 112,000-hectare Bohol Marine Triangle.

OLIDI eyes to develop the extremely shallow portions of Panglao Bay with depth of barely half a meter located about 500 meters to one kilometer from the shoreline. The five islets, to total about 450 hectares, will take the actual shape of these very shallow portions of the municipal waters where seagrass beds, as fish nursery, can hardly thrive long enough to sustain complementation with coral reefs and mangroves. Considering that seagrasses need full submersion underwater, the very shallow depth in the target sites of the project have instead made it prone to dying young than aiding photosynthesis. In very shallow portions such as the target sites of OLIDI's proposed island construction, drying out during low tide stunt the growth of seagrases and barely provide the shelter they need from waves and strong currents. When decomposed, they emit methane which rather pose threat to the environment.

OLIDI can be required to develop other areas in Panglao Bay that will be conducive to growth of seagrass meadows as a way of compensating for malnourished seagrass beds in some spots of the very shallow areas that would be sacrificed for the island construction project. Dr. Justino Quimio, professor and dean of the College of Forestry and Natural Resources of the Visayas State University in Baybay City, Leyte, explained all these in response to fear of threat to ecology raised by PANA and Padayon Bohol Marine Triangle (BMT). If the Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Philippine Reclamation Authority considers the project, OLIDI will ensure the integration of an ecology preservation component that will facilitate rehabilitation of marine biodiversity to reverse the impact of island construction in an effort to make it sustainable.

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