AT THE outset, I want to make it clear that everything I write about this subject from here onwards, is solely focused on the Cebu-Bohol Bridge. And to better understand the bridge’s impact on the Danajon Bank Double Barrier Reef (for brevity, Danajon Bank), I did my own research leading me to OneOcean.org where I found interesting studies and presentations about the double barrier reef.
I learned that “Danajon” is derived from a local name, “Dahunan” which according to Sanso A. Avenido, a barangay captain, is a local name of a stingray that looks like a leaf, and was abundant in the past. The second version, “Nanahun,” meaning “full of leaves.” Wayne Evardo, a Talibon Sangguniang Bayan member said, “A long time ago, fishermen could catch a huge number of fish like a bunch of leaves using multiple hooks and lines…”
In the “Danajon Bank Double Barrier Reef: A Unique and Valuable Resource” presentation, a double barrier reef is explained thus: a) A very rare geological phenomena built by coral growth — sounds familiar? Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Yes, the “Chocolate Hills” of Bohol; b) Danajon Bank is the only barrier reef in the Philippines and Southeast Asia — Aren’t we truly blessed with natural beauty!; c) It is approximately 6,000 years old; d) It consists of two barrier reefs, side by side, a unique formation, unlike the Australian Great Barrier Reef with only one barrier; and, e) The parallel barriers grew up with corals on top of older subsiding islands — wow, Bohol is truly a gem!
In the “Danajon Bank Double Barrier Reef: A Unique Resource in Peril” study, Danajon Bank is located “off the northwest coast of Bohol,” and “is a most important source for biodiversity and a large breeding area for many species of finfish, shellfish, and invertebrates. It is also a critical pathway of the Asian southward bird migratory route.”
Surrounding the double barrier reef, we can find “Coral reefs, mangroves, and seagrass habitats in shallow and relatively well-protected waters.” “Highly-productive, it is home to a vast array of commercially valuable reef fishes, shellfish, crustaceans, and invertebrates such as sea cucumbers and sea urchins.” Moreover, the “extensive seagrass beds are nursery and feeding grounds for various species of rabbitfish (Siganids) and sea horses, while its mangroves are spawning habitats for crustaceans, shrimps, and various fishes.”
“Danajon Bank plays a major role in the fishing industry of the province of Bohol. About 54% of the fishers, 44% of the non-motorized boards, and 62% of the motor crafts of the entire province are found in the nine coastal municipalities bounding the Danajon Bank.”
Hence, the Bank is a fishing ground with rich marine biodiversity providing sustainable livelihood to our Boholano fisherfolk.
But why zero in on Danajon Bank?
Because as discussed in my previous column (https://www.panaynews.net/do-we-really-need-a-bridge-to-connect-bohol-to-cebu/) and lifted from The Freeman news article published in March 2024, the Bank encompasses thirteen local government units, eleven of which are in Bohol, namely, Calape, Tubigon, Clarin, Inabanga, Buenavista, Getafe, Talibon, Trinidad, Bien Unido, Ubay, and President Carlos P. Garcia. The construction of a gigantic bridge will tremendously disrupt, if not destroy, the tranquil marine biodiversity, that in turn will negatively impact the fishing industry in these towns.
It very ironic that the story published on April 24, 2024, by the Business Mirror: “Visayas mega project: AG&P, VNHIC collaborate on $15-billion bridge and expressway network” didn’t even mention the Danajon Bank Double Barrier Reef. Reading it with those big numbers and “Other major sources of income of the project” that include “reclamation development, water supply, and real estate development” without the faintest reference of the marine environment seemed sacrilegious; totally disrespectful. It is as if the bridge will just materialize without impacting the sea and all its living creatures and organisms.
But the most worrisome of the article is, “Meanwhile, VNHIC was given certificates of acceptance thereby granting it original proponent status by the provincial governments of Negros Oriental, Cebu, Bohol, and Southern Luzon to develop Project Neceboley through a collaborative joint venture initiative with the provincial government under the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) framework.”
And yet again, “original proponent status,” through a “collaborative joint venture initiative,” “under the PPP framework” without consulting us — the Boholanos.
Why this has become the trend, I’m still scratching my head.
Will the consultation like the now-shelved Tagbilaran City land reclamation project come in later because the PPP law says so? And what about the humungous bridge’s impact on the Danajon Bank? Will the scientific study be funded by the very same investors? I remember a similar scenario; only this time, the scale is colossal.
In a nutshell, combining the findings of both presentation and study, there is a need to protect, conserve, stabilize, and enhance Danajon Bank for the following reasons: a) Provide food security for people living around the bank — ensure a supply of fish and marine organisms to sustain their livelihood and main source of protein; b) Danajon Bank because of its unique geological double barrier reef formation and high marine biodiversity, has great potential for ecotourism, but only and if, its ecological condition is first significantly improved—in the time management matrix, this is both important and urgent; c) Maintain the biodiversity of the double barrier reef including the rehabilitation of the coastal and fisheries resources to benefit everyone, most especially, the fisherfolk.
Finally, as the study stressed, “The overall integrity of the Danajon environment is stabilized and enhanced through strengthened institutions that enable coordination of the various actions of the local government units — which is the ideal scenario.
Unfortunately, ideal is not always real.
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Writer hosts Woman Talk with Belinda Sales every Saturday, 10:00 a.m. at 91.1 Balita FM Tagbilaran City. She can also be reached at belindabelsales@gmail.com. Twitter @ShilohRuthie./PN
