This is a call to STOP…. LOOK… and LISTEN… and REALIGN the Davao-Samal Bridge or SIDC Project.

STOP. Itigil ang lahat ng mga operasyon/aktibidades kaugnay sa Proyekto lalung-lalo na ang borehole drilling na ginagawa sa Davao Gulf. Ayusin at I review ang environmental compliance certificate (ECC) ng proyekto kung naaayon ito sa akmang impormasyon at maayos na pagpaplano at kung dumaan sa tama at masusing proseso sa mga local na stakeholders at sa LGU ng Samal at Davao City.  

           All operations related to the SIDC project, especially the drilling in Davao Gulf, will put the coral reefs (Samal and Davao sides) under grave threat.

          Pinasok na ng Chinese contractors (sakay ng isang tugboat at isang barge) ang area sa landing site nung ika-16 ng Oktubre at namalagi sa Davao side (sa may Azuela Cove at Beach club) simula noon.  Nagsasagawa sila ng drilling sa may Beach Club simula ika-17 ng Oktubre.

         Are these drilling operations covered by a permit? The Chinese contractors (accompanied by the officials and armed escort) had nothing to show when they parked the speedboat across Costa Marina last October 4. The vessels were parked at low tide, directly endangering the corals along the path of the bridge markers

Featured images: Armed coastguards and attempted drilling of boreholes in Davao Gulf on October 2022.

            Is the ECC (environmental compliance certificate) permit for the project itself valid, considering the misinformation and lack of transparency in the processes involving stakeholders? We demand a multi-partite monitoring team (MMT) be assembled to monitor these types of activities in the Davao Gulf. We demand a review of the ECC permit until the Project has undertaken genuine stakeholder consultation and processes with the LGUs concerned.

LOOK. Mahirap makita ang hindi tinitingnan. Buhay na buhay ang coral reef at marine ecosystem sa bahagi ng Davao at ng Samal. Ngunit pinagpipilitan ng DPWH na patay na ang mga corals at wala ng masisira sa project area dahil sira na ito. 

          The corals are not dead on the Samal Side (Costa Marine-Paradise side), nor on the Davao side, as the DPWH Project management would have the public believe.

           Barangay Hizon is a marine protected area that was targeted to be a fishery reserve (Marine Protected Area Plan 2016-2022) and recognized as MPA in the Comprehensive Land Use Plan (2019-2028) approved by the City Council of Davao last January 2022.

Featured images: Maps of the locations of existing and thriving coral reefs at Davao and Samal sides. 

The Paradise Reef (including corals at Costa Marina) side is in an environmentally-critical area (ECA)[1]

Samal is a declared protected area; the Samal Island Protected Landscape and Seascape (SIPLS). Can a declaration by Panabo CENRO or the PAMB resolution nullify this declaration?

 A profile of Paradise reefs shows its array of corals and fish, which are key indicator species, including the endangered giant clam (Tridacna Gigas.). Three (3) of the nine (9) giant clams species found in the Philippines can be found at Paradise Reef.  There is a table coral in the vicinity of the bridge marker that is at least a hundred years old.

Scan these QR codes for access to the study by Dr. John Michael P. Lacson (Volumes 1 and 2 feature the corals and fish life, respectively)​

Featured images: Corals are not dead, and marine life is thriving in Samal waters. 

Moreover, Davao gulf is home to marine mammals. The dolphins and whales (at least 15 species identified) in the Gulf were mapped out in a World Wildlife Fund (WWF) study as Davao Gulf is one of the key marine biodiversity areas (KMBA) supported by the UNDP in cooperation with DENR.

LISTEN. Pakinggan natin ang sigaw ng kalikasan at ang magiging epekto nito sa mga maliliit na mananagat/komunidad na umaasa sa Davao Gulf. Ang mga corals ay pugad at paanakan ng mga isda at natural na proteksyon sa daluyong ng bagyo sa Pakiputan strait. Sa panahon lalo ng climate crisis at pandemiya, hindi makakatulong kung isusugal pa natin ang ating “food security” at disaster preparedness/prevention kapalit ang tulay na maaari naming ipuwesto sa ibang lokasyon. 

To the marine life in Davao Gulf. The coral reef ecosystem will not survive the 5-year project/bridge construction. With the eradication of remaining coral reefs, fish catch and productivity will drop.

To the plight of fisherfolks in Davao Gulf. The Covid pandemic has had an impact on our fisherfolk, who are also grappling now with the inflation rate. Destroying the remaining reefs and corals in Davao Gulf means destroying their economic base. Where will our fisherfolks go, and where could they fish?

To the repeated warning on the climate emergency. We are given less than five (5) years by climate scientists to address the “breach of 1.5°C”, a critical point where effects and damages will be irreversible.  Pakiputan strait is prone to storm surges – why remove the remaining coral reef ecosystem that provides natural protection to the island community?

REALIGN. Iisbog at ibalhin ang tulay sa mga lugar na mas malalim ang naisagawang pag-aaral at hindi isinasaintabi ang kalikasan at epekto sa katawhan ng pagkasira nito. Ang Bridgeport ay inaral ng JICA nung 2016. Ang Caliclic property ay inaral ng grupo ng mga local na siyentipiko (FBS-ECREDS) nung 2019.  

REALIGN the Davao-Samal Bridge NOW!

There are other landing sites (with corresponding take-off points) that have been studied. The Bridgeport in a feasibility study by JICA in 2016. The bridge is shorter, and the project funds are cheaper by at least PhP 4 billion. The Lumos/Caliclic property in a biophysical assessment undertaken by FBS-ECREDS (Filipina B Sotto Environment and Community Research and Development) in 2019.

If this bridge is for genuine economic progress, please do not sacrifice the Davao Gulf’s ecology and the food security and climate/environmental safety of the people of Samal and the Davao region.

We owe our children and the next generation their future.

For Reefs and People, Realign the Bridge!

Join the Save Samal Reefs Alliance! Register here >> https://tinyurl.com/SaSaRAlliance

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 References:
[1] Proclamation No. 2146, series of 1981, guided by the DAO 2003-30 enumerates ECA as the ff: 1. All areas declared by law as national parks, watershed reserves, wildlife preserves and
sanctuaries.
2. Areas set aside as aesthetic potential tourist spots;
3. Areas which constitute the habitat for any endangered or threatened species of
indigenous Philippine Wildlife (flora and fauna);
4. Areas of unique historic, archaeological, or scientific interests;
5. Areas which are traditionally occupied by cultural communities or tribes;
6. Areas frequently visited and/or hard-hit by natural calamities (geologic hazards, floods,
typhoons, volcanic activity, etc.);
7. Areas with critical slopes;
8. Areas classified as prime agricultural lands;
9. Recharged areas of aquifers;
10. Water bodies characterized by one or any combination of the following conditions;
a. tapped for domestic purposes
b. within the controlled and/or protected areas declared by appropriate authorities
c. which support wildlife and fishery activities
11. Mangrove areas characterized by one or any combination of the following conditions:
a. with primary pristine and dense young growth;
b. adjoining mouth of major river systems;
c. near or adjacent to traditional productive fry or fishing grounds;
d. which act as natural buffers against shore erosion, strong winds and storm floods;
e. on which people are dependent for their livelihood.
12. Coral reefs characterized by one or any combinations of the following conditions:
a. With 50% and above live coralline cover;
b. Spawning and nursery grounds for fish
c. which act as natural breakwater of coastlines.