"This problem will be with us as long as urban living spaces are limited and still becoming constricted."
By David S. Cagahastian
It has been three weeks since the collapse of the Miami-area condominium in Florida, and the rescue efforts have turned to retrieval of bodies — 86 at the latest count. A total of 61 people remain unaccounted for, and the possibility of finding them alive became nil on Wednesday, when rescue workers concluded that there was "no chance of life."
The collapsed Champlain Towers South at a time when there was no earthquake or planes hitting it, sent shockwaves around the world and alerted building officials and government engineers on the importance of maintenance and safety inspections.
A 40-year-old building battered by salt water during typhoon and storm surges, the Champlain has had problems with water leaks from its swimming pool and the garage since 2018, causing the rebars and concrete to lose strength, engineers and researchers said. Experts noted that the collapsed building was only 100 meters from the water line in Miami Beach and had an amazing view of Florida bay. They pointed out that structures near the sea are far susceptible to tragedies like this as they become old. The same is true with buildings and structures in reclamation areas.
The Miami Surfside tragedy should serve as a wake-up call to builders and businessmen in our very own Boracay, where hotel buildings and permanent structures have sprouted where only light shelters and native huts had been. But while reclamation is not yet a problem in Boracay although space is already limited, the issue rears its head in at least two areas in the Visayas: Dumaguete and Consolacion, Cebu.
National Scientist Dr. Angel Alcala led academicians of Silliman University and other institutions in opposing Mayor Felipe Antonio Remollo's bid to build an island in front of Dumaguete. They presented several science-based reasons for their opposition, such as the project's impact on the people and the environment.
In a position paper, Alcala's group said the reclamation project will "directly destroy, literally bury the few remaining coral reef, seagrass, and soft sediment ecosystems that support small-scale fisheries and gleaning in Dumaguete." They noted that the planned project has not incorporated such tremendous expenses to offset the negative impacts on local communities that are dependent on these ecosystems for food and livelihood.
The problem in Consolacion, Cebu is very much like Dumaguete's. Shipping industry stakeholders, fishermen, boat owners and ordinary residents are protesting the 235-hectare reclamation project of La Consolacion Seafront Development Corp. (LCSD), with full cooperation and backing of Mayor Joannes Alegado.
The oppositors said the project will cause shipyards to lose an area where ships can stay during storms and emergencies. The proposed reclamation did not address the problem of ship maintenance facilities, when in fact it is very important to the people and local economy of the town. Records show that 70 percent of ship maintenance from Cebu and Northern Mindanao are being done in the shipyard in Tayud, Consolacion.
Cebu's status as the shipping hub of the Visayas is at risk if shipyards are displaced by a reclamation project that was fast-tracked without consultation with stakeholders. This is why five major shipyard operators are fighting for survival, albeit through legal means.
The shipyard operators have sought the court’s intervention after officials of Consolacion town in northern Cebu refused to give them permits to operate to pave the way for the plan to reclaim land from the sea in consortium with a private corporation.
The Regional Trial Court in Mandaue City has issued a status quo order after officials of Consolacion town promised not to close the shipyards until the main case was resolved.
“The municipality will not disturb the existing business operations of the petitioners until the main case is resolved,” said Judge Allan Francisco Garciano of RTC Branch 83.
Consolacion Mayor Joannes Alegado, meanwhile, said it was about time the foreshore area they were occupying was reclaimed and given to the next generation.
The problems of reclamation, along with the safety and structural integrity of buildings constructed in reclamation and seaside areas like in Miami Beach, will be with us as long as urban living spaces are limited and still becoming constricted. It is incumbent on the national government to strike out a balanced policy on the need for economic growth and the demands of environmental protection and conservation.
Atty. David S. Cagahastian is a former newspaper reporter. He covered Malacanang, the Department of Foreign Affairs and the House of Representatives for the Manila Bulletin.
