NEDA review, approval of reclamation projects pushed

SOCIOECONOMIC Planning Secretary Arsenio Balisacan pointed out on Wednesday the need for the National Economic and Development Authority (NEDA) to be involved in the review and approval of reclamation projects.

During a briefing in Malacañang, Balisacan stressed they “ultimately have to be involved” in the process as big-ticket infrastructure projects greatly impact the economic landscape of the country, specifically the National Capital Region (NCR).

“We have not been sought for advice yet or for our perspective but we’ll ultimately have to be involved. As you know, NEDA approves big infrastructure projects particularly those that will have impact on the economy and society and in the case of Metro Manila, the whole of Metro Manila,” he stated.

“We are not a party to the approval of these reclamation projects, but given the significance and importance in the socioeconomic landscape of Metro Manila, NEDA should be part of that exercise,” he added.

To recall, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. ordered a halt to all 22 reclamation projects across the country, 13 of them in the Manila Bay, pending the government’s reassessment of their overall long-term social and environmental impacts.

The Chief Executive likewise tasked the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to review all reclamation projects, particularly the developers’ compliance with the conditions under which their Environmental Compliance Certificates (ECC) and area clearances were issued.

The assessment of some 22 projects, approved during the previous administration, will be through trans-disciplinary work, which will get the inputs from social scientists, communities, experts, and academicians, according to the DENR.