THE mangrove area in Cansaga Bay in northern Cebu will not be affected by the construction of the Global City Mandaue when the reclamation for the project starts by September this year.
This was the assurance of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)-Environmental Management Bureau in Central Visayas (EMB 7).
Cindylyn Pepito, chief of the EMB 7's Environmental Education and Information Unit, told Sunstar Cebu on Monday, May 16, 2022, that the local government unit (LGU) of Mandaue City has coordinated with them in line with the construction of the P20-billion Global City project.
Pepito added that the Mandaue LGU has so far been compliant and cooperative with the DENR in making sure that the mangrove area near the site will not be affected.
The LGU, she said, had submitted the supplemental requirements needed by the DENR and was granted an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) by the DENR'S Central Visayas office.
The ECC is an essential requirement as it allows a proposed project to proceed to the next stage of planning and acquire approvals from other government agencies and LGUs so the project can be implemented.
Along with the approval of the ECC is the submission of the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) screening checklist that assures the project has undergone enough studies, including passing the Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS).
"So far, all the infrastructure projects these days are very conscious of the environmental impact. The LGUs already know their responsibility, which is to make sure to have sustainable environmental management, and that's the same thing for Mandaue," Pepito said.
When asked if the project might cause the rise of the sea level in Cansaga Bay, Pepito said they had not conducted a study on it yet, but she assured that they would conduct further examination and coordinate with the Mandaue LGU if it would happen.
The DENR has also assured to regularly monitor the project at the start of its land reclamation in September and throughout the construction process to make sure the Global City Mandaue project will comply with all the necessary environmental laws.
The Global City Mandaue project is set to be established at the 101-hectare land near the Cansaga Bay along the Mactan Channel near the Marcelo Fernan Bridge.
It is said to be the first-ever waterfront city for Mandaue City and the entire Cebu province. (HIC)