BEYOND LABELS, BEYOND BORDERS: International Solidarity Conference on the Rights of Climate Migrants September 17-19, 2019 | ,

Community Exposure September 17, 2019

I. Location: Taliptip, Bulakan (Province of )

The 2,500-hectare coastal area of Barangay Taliptip, Bulakan, Bulacan is under threat of dis- placement due to the proposed construction of an aerotropolis which is the government’s solu- tion to the traffic congestion in Metro and nearby cities.

Bulacan is one of the key biodiverse areas in the country. This proposed “land development” project will directly displace 700 fishing communities and coastal families in 7 villages. The area will be cleared of 657 mangrove trees, and 24 hectares of fishing reservation area will be wiped out because of the land reclamation project. This will impact the lives and livelihood of the people in the area who rely heavily on fishing. This project also means loss of the tradition- al fish species and fish catch of small fisher folk in the province.

This Philippine government project will destroy an already existing protective barrier against flooding. Should they succeed in putting up this aerotropolis, it will expose the area and its nearby cities to possible black sand mining, excavating, and further destruction which could lead to potential disasters such as flooding and soil erosion.

II. Location: , Tondo, Manila ()

BASECO is a reclaimed section of the Manila Port Area, and is one of the areas that will be gravely affected by government’s reclamation projects along Manila Bay. Twenty-two (22) recla- mation projects are planned along the 22,000-hectare of Manila Bay. Aside from environmental destruction, the reclamation projects are basically big infrastructure projects meant to accom- modate big private corporations for profit at the expense of the 1 to 1.5 million Filipinos across all Manila Bay reclamation projects.

The BASECO residents have strongly opposed the project, and have formed ‘AKAP Ka Manila Bay’ and have advocated for the ‘genuine rehabilitation’ of Manila Bay’s historic waters, i.e. it should not result in the forced evacuation and displacement of an estimated 300,000 informal settlers. With the support of progressive legislators of the MAKABAYAN bloc and other cause oriented groups, they are calling to declare Manila Bay as ‘Reclamation-Free Zone.’

III. Location: Isla Paglaum (Province of Cavite)

In 2013, Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines and claimed around 7,000 lives. It is the deadli- est Philippine typhoon on record. The aftermath of Haiyan left thousands of survivors homeless and forcibly evacuated and displaced. Government rehabilitation and reconstruction is marred by corruption and fund mismanagement which tremendously slows down the rebuilding and reconstruction efforts for those displaced by the typhoon.

Community Exposure Program 1 BEYOND LABELS, BEYOND BORDERS: International Solidarity Conference on the Rights of Climate Migrants September 17-19, 2019 | Quezon City, Philippines

Isla Paglaum* in Barangay Silangan 1, Rosario, Cavite is now home to some 150 families who are survivors of Typhoon Haiyan. Rosario is a first class municipality 30 kilometers south of Ma- nila. It is a coastal town known for its smoked fish and dried fish industry. The survivors and its families subsist on fishing and fishing-related cottage industries. The community, through the Typhoon Survivors Association, has agreed to host a community visit in September.

*Paglaum, a Visayan word, means ‘hope’

Community Exposure Program 2