Office of President takes over reclamation projects

President Duterte has placed the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) under his direct supervision days after some lawmakers claimed the rehabilitation of Manila Bay would pave the way for reclamation projects that will displace thousands.

The transfer of PRA to the Office of the President (OP) from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is contained in Executive Order 74 signed by Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea by authority of Duterte last Feb. 1.

The order also delegates to the PRA Governing Board the president’s power to approve all reclamation projects.

Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada welcomed the move, saying he believed this would hasten the implementation of reclamation already approved by the city government.

“It will cut red tape and hasten the implementation of reclamation projects. I thanked President Duterte for issuing EO 74. I am 100 percent supportive of that,” he said.

He added that this would create jobs and bring billions of pesos as income to the city government.

Malacañang clarified that the delegation should not be viewed as diminishing the president’s authority to modify, amend, or nullify the action of the PRA Governing Board.

“It is the policy of the state to increase its competitiveness, promote ease of doing business, and rationalize and streamline functions of agencies to facilitate efficient delivery of government services,” the order read. “There is a need to rationalize the approval process for reclamation projects toward an economically and environmen- tally sustainable resource development.”

The order will apply to all reclamation projects, including those initiated by local governments, for which there are no contracts or agreements executed between the government entity and a private sector proponent before it took effect.

The order came as members of the Makabayan bloc at the House of Representatives urged the Duterte administration to postpone the rehabilitation of Manila Bay.

In a resolution, Representatives Ariel Casilao of Anakpawis, Carlos Zarate of Bayan Muna, Emmie de Jesus and Arlene Brosas of Gabriela, Antonio Tinio and France Castro of ACT Teachers and Sarah Jane Elago of Kabataan, warned that the rehabilitation could be a “prelude” to 43 reclamation projects under the government’s infrastructure program.