Barangay Taliptip is a coastal community located in the southern part of the Bulacan province in Central Luzon and in the northern part of Manila Bay. It constantly faces extreme weather events such as floods, storm surges, and tides. Along with Barangay Bambang, it is the site of the New Manila International Airport, also known as the Bulacan Aerotropolis Project, which is currently under construction. The project proponent is San Miguel Corporation (SMC), a Filipino-owned multinational conglomerate. The Aerotropolis project that covers 2,565 hectares is said to decongest air traffic from the main airport in Metro Manila but poses grave risks to the ecosystem and the communities in and around Manila Bay. As of the end of 2022, it is estimated that land development for the project has already reached 46% as Taliptip became the site of intensive dredging, ocean filling, mangrove deforestation, and other reclamation activities in line with the project's construction phase. A 2019 study led by the University of the Philippines Diliman concluded that the project site is prone to geohazards such as settlement, liquefaction, and flooding due to its natural geomorphological characteristics. However, these risks were disregarded and the project pushed through. This large-scale project is stripping the rights of the community for corporate interests. Manila Bay is one of the country's principal fishing grounds and a major source of fish and fishery products that is essential to the food security of Metro Manila and other surrounding provinces. This research study entitled "Soci-Economic and Ecological Impact of Reclamation Activities in the Coastal Communities of Taliptip, Bulacan" aims to assess the immediate effects of the reclamation activities associated with the construction of the Aerotropolis Project. The study will have two main components: 1) table research to compile all previous literature on reclamation, Manila Bay, and Taliptip to form a baseline with which to comapre the impacts of reclamation; and 2) field assessment to describe the impacts of reclamation in terms of geology, biodiversity, and socio-economic conditions.
[Sep. 2022]