Scrap ECCs of Manila Bay projects, new DENR chief urged
A fisherfolk group wants newly appointed acting Environment Secretary Juan Miguel Cuna to revoke the environmental compliance certificates (ECCs) issued to at least 13 reclamation projects in Manila Bay.
Cuna took over the post from Raphael Lotilla, whom the group Pamalakaya had earlier criticized for allegedly failing to safeguard Manila Bay, nearby coastal communities, and marine ecosystems from what it described as harmful reclamation and dredging operations.
“Fisherfolk, coastal poor communities, and environmental advocates are closely watching the new head of the department to see whether he will uphold genuine environmental protection or merely serve as an instrument of natural resource plunderers like his predecessors,” Pamalakaya national chair Fernando Hicap said on Sunday.
President Marcos on Feb. 27 designated Juan Miguel Cuna as acting secretary of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and appointed Lotilla ambassador to the Holy See.
Cuna, a lawyer and veteran government official with decades of experience in public service and environmental management, holds the rank of career executive service officer and has held various positions within the DENR, focusing on field operations and environmental law enforcement.
Impact assessment
The fishers’ group said Cuna only has to look at the DENR’s own cumulative impact assessment, which confirms that reclamation causes irreversible environmental damage.
“It will no longer be a difficult puzzle for the new DENR secretary to understand why the reclamation projects in Manila Bay need to be urgently reviewed. The agency itself has already conducted studies on the damage these activities cause to the environment, fisheries, and coastal communities,” Pamalakaya noted.
Based on the first phase of the DENR’s cumulative impact assessment (CIA) released in April 2025, the proposed reclamation projects in Manila Bay are expected to disrupt water circulation, reduce fishing grounds, destroy mangroves, and degrade ecosystems, increasing risks of harmful algal blooms and threats to marine biodiversity.
According to the assessment by the DENR, the reclamation projects can also obstruct natural drainage, worsening coastal and inland flooding during storms, thereby heightening dangers to lives, infrastructure, and community resilience.
The results were also backed by the Marine Environment and Resources Foundation as its oceanographer, Charina Lyn Repollo, said flooding in nearby communities could worsen, with reclamation raising backflow and increasing floodwater levels.
Following the results of the CIA showing significant environmental risks, the DENR announced it would strengthen its rules on issuing ECCs.
Further study
In May 2025, environmental groups such as Oceana and Alyansa Tigil Muna (ATM) already urged the cancellation of all Manila Bay reclamation projects.
Bernie Larin, campaign officer of ATM, pointed out that ECC reviews should have been completed before issuing reclamation permits in order to protect the environment and public safety, as he questioned why the previous DENR approved these projects without assessing their potential impacts.
As of December 2025, the DENR is still conducting Phase 2 of the CIA for Manila Bay reclamation projects.
The review process will include consultations and discussions with the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), the proposing local government units, and other stakeholders, to determine if ECCs should be revised or amended and thus address the potential cumulative environmental, social, economic and ecological impacts highlighted in the assessment.
Marcos order
In August 2023, President Marcos ordered an indefinite suspension of 22 major land reclamation projects to allow a study of their environmental impact and legal compliance. The PRA said 13 of these are in Manila Bay.
Mr. Marcos made the decision following environmentalists’ warnings that the projects have caused flooding in various areas, a situation worsened by the impact of Typhoon “Egay” (international name: Doksuri) in 2023.
Among the biggest developments in the Manila Bay area are the 360-hectare Pasay reclamation and development project, located across the Mall of Asia complex and proposed by the city government of Pasay.
In a joint venture with SM Prime Holdings Inc., it is intended for mixed-use commercial, residential, institutional centers, and tourism estates.
The Pasay Harbor City reclamation project, covering 265 hectares of foreshore and offshore areas in Pasay City, is another undertaking also proposed by the Pasay local government in a joint venture with Pasay Harbor City Corp.
It is intended to be developed for mixed uses of residential and commercial spaces with integrated tourism and allocation for theme parks, with the proponents aiming to develop it into a commercial business district by the bay.
