NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – Environmentalists in the Negros Island Region and Panay sounded alarm bells over a P189-billion bridge project, warning that it could spell disaster for the already endangered Irrawaddy dolphins thriving in the Guimaras Strait.
The environmental watchdog Green Alert Network expressed dismay over what it described as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ inaction despite calls to protect the dolphins from the risks posed by the 32-kilometer Panay-Guimaras-Negros Bridge project.
GAN has joined other environmental organizations to warn that the project threatens the natural habitat of 10 to 13 Irrawaddy dolphins in the Guimaras Strait. The University of Saint La Salle (USLS) in Bacolod spent a decade studying these rare marine mammals, confirming that the waters off Bago and Pulupandan serve as their sanctuary.
Irrawaddy dolphins are already on the brink of extinction, and advocates fear that the PGN Bridge project could push them over the edge. The Negros Occidental Coastal Wetland Conservation Area, where these dolphins thrive, is a protected zone, yet construction threatens to disrupt its delicate ecosystem.
Irrawaddy dolphins play an important role in the marine food chain. Their movements stir up sediments, releasing nutrients that sustain fish populations, indirectly benefiting fisherfolk in Bago, Pulupandan, Valladolid, and Hinigaran. Losing them could have a cascading effect on the region’s marine biodiversity and local livelihoods.
In April 2023, musician-writer Karl Ramirez launched a 12-page children’s book, Wady’s Epic Adventure to Save Home, in Bacolod, aimed at educating young readers about the plight of Irrawaddy dolphins. Through simple illustrations and facts, the book shows how these dolphins favor Bago and Pulupandan waters as their playground – an area now at risk.
Environmentalists have called on Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga to break her silence and clarify where the environment department stands on the PGN Bridge project.
Without full transparency and a thorough assessment of its ecological risks, they warned, the country may be paving the way for the extinction of one of its rarest marine species.
The Department of Public Works and Highways plans to begin construction this December, with the first 13-kilometer segment connecting Leganes, Iloilo, to Buenavista, Guimaras.
The second phase, spanning 19.47 kilometers, would link San Lorenzo, Guimaras, to Pulupandan, Negros Occidental. While the detailed engineering design (DED) for the Panay-Guimaras section is under review, the Guimaras-Negros segment’s DED remains incomplete.
A loan agreement between the Philippine and South Korean governments is expected to be signed between May and June, with bidding for construction to follow. The Export-Import Bank of South Korea has already provided a $56.6-million loan for preliminary design, DED, and procurement assistance – prerequisites before construction.
Despite these preparations, environmentalists are questioning whether authorities have properly assessed the ecological consequences of the massive infrastructure project.
“Where is the environmental impact assessment for this project?” asked Rusty Biñas, GAN founder and leader. “We’ve been asking for it ever since, but the DENR is just playing blind and deaf.”
DPWH Region VI Director Sanny Boy Oropel said foreign consultants for the PGN Bridge project had secured all necessary environmental permits, but Biñas countered that GAN and other groups had seen no evidence of an EIA or even an environmental compliance certificate.
Despite environmental concerns, former senator Manny Pacquiao has downplayed fears of ecological damage. Visiting Negros Occidental on February 21, he touted the PGN Bridge project as a driver of economic growth and assured that foreign contractors using advanced technology would prevent environmental harm.
But Biñas and other environmentalists refused to take such assurances at face value.
“With pressing threats like the Supreme Court ruling opening municipal waters to commercial fishing and the looming prospect of coastal mining, we cannot afford to gamble with Negros’ marine environment,” Biñas said. – Rappler.com