The United States has raised issues regarding the continuous reclamation endeavors in Manila Bay, which borders its embassy, and the participation of a Chinese construction firm that Washington has blacklisted.
According to the embassy spokesperson, Kanishka Gangopadhyay, American diplomats in Manila consistently discuss the ongoing reclamation projects backed by China in the area with the Philippine government.
“We have expressed concerns about the potential negative long-term and irreversible impacts to the environment, the resilience to natural hazards of Manila and nearby areas, and to commerce,” Gangopadhyay said.
“We are also concerned that the projects have ties to the China Communications Construction Co., which has been added to the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Entity List for its role in helping the Chinese military construct and militarize artificial islands in the South China Sea,” he added.
Moreover, the company has been accused by both the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank of involvement in fraudulent business practices.
The ongoing reclamation project around Manila Bay is intended to transform the area into a hub for luxury hotels, casinos, restaurants, shopping centers, and upscale residential buildings, with the vision of becoming a prominent entertainment and gaming tourism destination akin to Las Vegas and Macau.
Gangopadhyay emphasized that the US government is in favor of endorsing only “high-quality, sustainable, and transparent investments” that would bring benefits to the Filipino population.
US Embassy concerned over environmental impact of Manila Bay reclamation
As stated by Gangopadhyay, the embassy has affirmed its commitment to maintain communication and collaboration with the relevant authorities concerning this matter.
Meanwhile, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) highlighted the importance of considering the potential occurrence of a significant earthquake concerning the reclamation projects in Manila Bay.
During a press briefing at the Palace, Environment Secretary Antonia Yulo Loyzaga acknowledged that the reclamation projects are crucial in enhancing the economy. However, she also emphasized the need to assess their impact on the environment carefully.
“I think what’s important is reclamation has a certain value, obviously in terms of the economy. However, we need to do the cost benefit analysis in terms of the impact to the ecology and the longer term impact in terms of possibly what could result from climate change,” Loyzaga said.
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