This is a report from our friend in the Philippines and is associated with the Etniko Bandido Infoshop and Food not Bombs- Baliuag.
This post highlights action in the ongoing struggle to protect nature and to stop the development of a new international airport. This airport not only threatens the land, the species, the environment, it also threatens the livelihood of the families and farmers who live on the proposed site.
Here is their report, first hand.
(re-posted by request and with permission)
Critical Mass Bike Ride Protest Against Bulacan Aerotropolis Project December 1, 2019
No to Bulacan Aerotropolis, No to Eco-Destructive Reclamation
This action is initiated by Food not Bombs- Baliuag with the support coming from individuals mostly anti-authoritarian and eco-activist. This mega-development construction project will require raw materials to make a metal, glass, timber, cement etc. coming from the mining activities so expect that some mountains will be destroy and hundreds of living organisms will be loss. Aside from 22 species of Mangroves which directly be cut down and hundred tons of marine life that will be kill by this airport project.
San Miguel Corporation are responsible for this ecological genocide.
The crew from Manila arrived in Bulacan Provincial Capitol in Malolos, Bulacan at 8am in the morning and waited for the other groups to arrive who were coming from different towns of Bulacan. Almost 20 participants came that day, they started their breakfast together, a local noodle (vegetarian pancit bihon) prepared by the FNB -Baliuag then a little briefing on the route of the ride, safety and the coordination while biking. They will target to arrive in location were the Bulacan Aerotropolis is about to happen in Brgy. Taliptip Bulakan, Bulakan. At 9:30 am, they started to leave Malolos and went to the road. They blocked half of the road with the two banners hanging and others giving away flyers. The route that they choose is the Matimbo Road- Bagumbayan-Taliptip, they pass through nine barangays (villages) and people stop trying to read the messages on the banner. It is a busy Sunday morning to most of them, we pass churches full of people and talipapa (small village market) had many customers. The reaction of the people is mixed some didn’t know the project, some are against the project and cheer us up but other are annoyed that we are causing traffic. One car tries to run us over and one of the bikers slightly stricken but nothing serious. They continue the ride and swaps who holds a banner. They stopped a few times to rest and drink/hydrate then after 3 hours they managed to reach the Municipal town of Bulakan, Bulacan, at the Municipal Park where the governmental office is located, they staged a picket, although at this day it is closed there are many people in the area witnessed the action. They stay there for 20mins more waiting for the other bikers who were doing wheat-pasting. Then the crew is ready to reach the final stop and it will take 30mins more.
From the Municipal Town to the Brgy. Taliptip they noticed that most of the houses are already descend and the roads are higher so one of the participants measured the sea level and it shows that the land base area is only 3 meters below sea level. According to the research of Climate Central that most of the areas in the Philippines will experience flooding in 2050, so imagined a town where the airport will be located is only 3 meters below sea level and the wetlands/bay area where the 2,500 hectares of this project will be construct is the catch basin for all the waters coming from the higher mountains in Bulacan, “we are talking a big Risk and a future Manmade-Calamity” here for all the people not only for the seven sitios affected communities but also for the people in three towns of Bulacan provinces the Bulakan, Bulacan, Obando Bulacan and Malolos, Bulacan.
So, around pass 12nn we finally arrived in the bridge of Brgy. Taliptip and see the huge wetland connected to Manila Bay, we hang the banner there and stay for about 30 mins then after they finish the action, they went to a friend’s place who are locals in the area. Here we assess the action while having our late lunch.
