Reclamation project report up for public hearing

A public hearing on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report of the Maasin City 24-Hectare Reclamation Project was called by its project proponent, the provincial government of Southern Leyte. The public hearing will be conducted at 9 o’clock in the morning at Barangay Combado gymnasium, Maasin City, where all interested and concerned parties can air their opinions.
Pro-Environment groups and other concerned citizens have contested the plan and implementation of the said reclamation project. Opinions and position papers have been presented in the past, objecting to the project for the conservation of the environment and its possible long-term effect on valuable marine resources.
The public hearing is in connection with the Review on the Environmental Impact Assessment Report of the said 24-hectare reclamation project by the Department of Environmental and Natural Resources (DENR).
All interested parties are enjoined to attend and participate. They can register in person or by mail with the Environmental Management Board (EMB) Regional Office-8 located at DENR Compound, Jones St., Brgy. 2, Tacloban City. Those who will not be able to register or submit written positions can share their issues on the day of the hearing itself. However, priority shall be given to those who register first with the above office before the public hearing activity, and also to the early registrants during the hearing.
Full copy of the draft EIA Report can be accessed at the EMB RO8 and at the Provincial Engineering Office of Southern Leyte, while copy of the Executive Summary is available at the Office of Brgy. Combado. Project Fact sheets are also available at these offices.
Individual and/or organizations can give their opinions in a concise position paper submitted to the EMB R-8 with address at DENR Compound, Jones St., Brgy. 2, Tacloban City on or before August 1, 2022. Submissions can also be thru mailed letters or thru e-mail at the EMB RO-8 email address of embr8_eiaps@emb.gov.ph.
With the possible completion of the 24-hectare reclamation, the local government aims to attract more investors who will conduct their businesses in Maasin City.
Meanwhile, the environmental group BARUG Maasin vehemently protests against the project, because it claims the project will destroy the food resource of hundreds of families and severely damage Maasin’s delicate ecosystem and biodiversity.