MORE environmental groups are joining the opposition to the proposed reclamation project in Dumaguete City.
Fannie Guanzon, chair of the Sangkalikasan Producers Cooperative (SPC) now based in Camiguin province, said they are also worried about the possible environmental impact of the proposed project.
The Dumaguete City Council earlier said it is pushing for the P456-million reclamation project to be converted into a smart city area.
The project includes 174 hectares that affects at least four marine-protected areas.
"The Sangkalikasan has been protecting, conserving and restoring corals for the last 11 years. The claims made by the City Government that corals can be removed and transplanted to create a new coral reef is an impudent and disingenuous statement," Guanzon said.
"No amount of engineering and human capability can restore or duplicate a coral reef that has been intentionally ruined by reclamation and that is a painful and sad fact," she added.
The SPC is a nationwide group that focuses on restoring coral reefs all over the country. The group claimed it achieved a million coral reefs rehabilitated in the country in previous years.
The group started restoring corals on Boracay Island in the early 2000s. (SunStar Philippines)