Boljoon updates
November 14 - the plea sent to the Movement for Livable Cebu to save Boljoon was posted. Several responses followed, including our November 15 PERSPECTIVE article.
Evening, November 15, according to Marc Canton of MLC: "The stakeholders from Poblacion, Boljo-on, attended a meeting with MLC at 8 PM Saturday November 15, 2014. We had expected 5 people to attend; we got 20! This is a heritage, citizen's rights, environmental, safety, and home and livelihood issue for them and more. And so with all Cebuanos!"
The next day, November 16, a petition was signed, and later sent to Boljoon Mayor Merlou Derama through the Boljoon Sangguniang Bayan, from the LUTADABAY (Lumad Talisaynon, Daplin sa Baybayon), Talisay fisherfolks and people of Boljoon and Talisay. The petition, copy furnished to DENR and NCAA, requested the Sangguniang Bayan to "HALT any further construction, excavation, reclamation, dumping of rocks and any activities in the coastal area of Sitio Talisay, Poblacion, Boljoon, pending FULL public inquiry, proper documentation of the project and complete adherence to the Local Government Code. This includes all forms of ground works like drilling, excavating, reclaiming, ground works, rip rap of any ground works for any purpose whatsoever. Continued construction of these structures will result to the following: loss of livelihood (fishermen), inconvenience and hazardous to the community, damaging a historical area and historical site, and lack of adherence to the local government code, transparency from DPWH, ECC from DENR, and Public Consultation." The said petition ended with the statement: "WE DEMAND TRANSPARENCY AND FULL PUBLIC INFORMATION OF THE ONGOING PROJECT!!!" There were 68 signatories to this petition.
Early November 17 morning, messages mentioned that "Vice Mayor Fred Awe will convene the Sangguniang Bayan of Boljoon "to pass a resolution urging District Engr. Dellosa of the DPWH 4th Engineering District to immediately put on hold the project pending public hearing and resolution of the complaints of the fisherfolks and residents and compliance of requirements for reclamation projects with DENR and PRA." On the same day, the Boljoon petition was to be handed directly to DENR Paje in Manila by Rudy Alix of MLC together with other petitioners.
Still on the same day, November 17, Boljoon's SB passed Resolution NO. 245-2014 "urgently appealing to District Engineer James D. Dellosa of the 4th Engineering District of Cebu to immediately put on hold the DPWH Coastal Development project at Sitio Talisay, Boljoon, Cebu pending public hearing and resolution of the complaints made by fisherfolks and residents of the area.
November 18, Marian Codilla of CDN writes a very informative story entitled "Boljoon's Ili Rock Vanishing." The next day, November 19th, DPWH Engr. Marlon Marollano, DPWH project engineer is quoted as saying: "Only a court order can stop this project." For more details about the Boljoon updates, please search for the FB site of Movement for Livable Cebu and the CDN issues.
Several questions again are being raised about this DPWH project.
Projects funded by calamity funds, according to interviewed DPWH engineers do not need ECC or other clearances required of non-calamity funded projects. If the Boljoon Illi project were considered a calamity project, who were the experts tapped to confirm that the area was a danger zone and a genuine calamity area?
According to Dellosa in the November 19th CDN issue, "there was no written recommendation given by Phivolcs for the cracks found in the mountain. He said the project was based on the recommendation of DPWH district engineers who inspected the area."
Is that DPWH determination correct and was it ok for DPWH to decide unilaterally about the genuine state of Illi site after the Boljoon landslide? According to Dellosa, "part of the limestone mountain was in danger of collapsing after the October 15, 2013 earthquake and needed an engineering remedy called "slope benching."
Did DPWH consider other experts about the best remedy for the Illi site, one that would protect people and preserve heritage?
According to DPWH, the urgency of ensuring the safety of people from the landslide-prone mountain prompted DPWH to urgently respond through the remedy they seemed to have deemed best for that moment. Is that DPWH procedure acceptable? Could not have DPWH explored, in a consultative, participatory manner , urgent alternatives that would not have caused any harm to other communities and residents , that would have allowed fisherfolks in the area to remain where they are and to continue their livelihood in clear water in Boljoon? Surely, DPWH knows about sustainable development?
As the project has a huge budget (P45.2million) and another related project (P43.9 million) for " reclamation" and as the project has now been questioned by respondents directly adversely affected by the high budget projects, is it not only right that a full stop of the projects be made by DPWH for now until all important issues raised are resolved?
Until then, the campaign to save Boljoon should continue. Please, please do your share to save beautiful Boljoon!
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