Dumaguete 174-Hectare Reclamation Project

Dumaguete City is recognized as the City of Gentle People, and it's a prime
place to visit if you're looking for adventure and tranquility, as it's far out from the hustle
and bustle of the typical city life. This city is renowned for being a city that makes you
feel at home, and there's something about this lovely city that evokes such a strong
sense of belonging and comfort. However, recently, there has been a controversial
project being proposed– the 174-hectare Reclamation Project, the so-called “Smart
City”. This has sparked a lot of conversations, arguments, and debates especially
across social media, coming from two opposing sides. There’s the side that’s supportive
of the development and the other side which is concerned for the welfare of the
environment.

Is building this “Smart City” really worth it? Wouldn’t this ruin the charm of our
beloved city? We should acknowledge the beauty that we have in this city and
appreciate the richness that is right here with us. Dumaguete is known to be a city that
has a rich marine biodiversity and marine ecosystem. According to Micronesian Divers
Association, it has over 3,000 species of fish and six of the world’s seven marine turtle
species; it also has rich coral reserves. Once this “Smart City” will be constructed, these
will be greatly affected and will be destroyed. The harm that it will bring to all these is
uncalled-for. Now, will destroying this beauty and sacrificing this richness be worth the
change that is being proposed?

The City of Dumaguete attracts a lot of people and tourists for being a city of
nostalgia and a city filled with peace. It’s known for having a natural vibe and being a
laidback town. By constructing this project, this will bring about drastic changes in the
city. Changes that we would find unappealing. The livelihood of a lot of people and the
breathtaking views of the city will also be stomped, and the once hassle-free city–free
from all the hustle and bustle–will now be taken away.

Though we know that this project has its economical benefits, this does not imply
that we oppose progressive policies. This is just one of those things that we do not want
to consider risking. No to 174 Smart City/Reclamation. This project will not only threaten
to bury our rich and diverse marine life, but it will also threaten to destroy the very soul
of the city. Let us continue to remind our fellow citizens about the beautiful things in
Dumaguete City that we risk losing in the name of “development”.
REFERENCES:

Cabico, G. K. (2021, July 13). Reclamation in Dumaguete seen to pose devastating

impacts on environment, communities. Philstar.Com.

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2021/07/13/2112202/reclamation-dumaguete-

seen-pose-devastating-impacts-environment-communities

Esterman, I. (2021, August 18). Scientists, communities battle against Philippine land

reclamation project. Mongabay Environmental News.

https://news.mongabay.com/2021/08/scientists-communities-battle-against-

philippine-land-reclamation-project/

Fishers, coalition oppose planned Dumaguete City reclamation project. (2021, July 19).

Business World. https://www.bworldonline.com/fishers-coalition-oppose-planned-

dumaguete-city-reclamation-project/

Grana, R. (2021, July 18). The controversial proposal to build a ‘mini BGC’ in

Dumaguete—what we’ll lose, what we’ll gain. ABS-CBN News. https://news.abs-

cbn.com/ancx/culture/spotlight/07/18/21/the-controversial-proposal-to-build-a-

mini-bgc-in-dumaguetewhat-well-lose-what-well-gain

Inquirer, P. D. (2021, July 22). ‘Monumental eco-disaster.’ INQUIRER.Net.

https://opinion.inquirer.net/142318/monumental-eco-disaster

Manila, C. (2021a, July 12). Dumaguete's scientists are up in arms against an ambitious

174-hectare 'Smart City' reclamation project. Coconuts.

https://coconuts.co/manila/news/dumaguete-174dumaguete-reclamation-protest/

Manila, C. (2021b, July 12). Dumaguete's scientists are up in arms against an ambitious

174-hectare 'Smart City' reclamation project. Coconuts.

https://coconuts.co/manila/news/dumaguete-174dumaguete-reclamation-protest/
No to 174 Reclamation | Silliman University. (2021). Silliman Univeristy.

https://su.edu.ph/no-to-174-reclamation/

Partlow, M. J. (2021, July 19). Reclamation in Dumaguete faces new opposition.

Philippine News Agency. https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1147570

Stinus-Cabugon, M. (2021, July 18). Reclamation projects in Central Visayas. The

Manila Times.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2021/07/19/opinion/columns/reclamation-projects-in-

central-visayas/1807519

ABS-CBN News. (2018, August 13). 'Very friendly' Dumaguete named top retirement

spot in PH. https://news.abs-cbn.com/life/08/13/18/very-friendly-dumaguete-

named-top-retirement-spot-in-ph

Dumaguete | MDAGUAM. (n.d.). MDAGuam. Retrieved August 27, 2021, from

https://www.mdaguam.com/dumaguete/

Villareal, M. (2020, July 3). What Makes Dumaguete a Favorite Retirement Place for

EXPATS. Out of Town Blog. https://outoftownblog.com/what-makes-dumaguete-

a-favorite-retirement-place-for-expats/