A look into the environmental impacts of Subic’s industrial development

Subic is a coastal municipality in Zambales that is a rising summer tourist spot for its beaches and eco-adventures. Only four to five hours from Metropolitan Manila, it transformed into a hotspot for tourists and vacationers.  It is also believed to be a potential economic gateway to people and the country.

But unfortunately, all these have a toll on Subic. 

Subic is a place of forested areas, rivers, and beaches that is slowly converting into residential land and buildings. It envisions to be a highly urbanized municipality that is competitive in agriculture, industry, and ecotourism. 

Currently, there are 15 subdivisions, hotels, malls, and grocery stores that were converted from rice fields, forest mountains, and rivers. These developments have negatively impacted the environment and may soon affect the lives of residents. The difference in the average temperature per month rose to 14 degrees Celsius, from 25°C to 39°C, which is noted as the highest temperature rise from the early 2000s to present. 

There are higher landslide hazards during rainy seasons due to soil erosion. Floods also reach up to waist-high water levels which compromises the comfort and safety of the people, especially when natural calamities hit. 

Santo Tomas and Ilwas are two of the riverside barangays that are considered flood-prone areas. Both barangays experience frequent flooding due to overflowing rivers and faulty drainage systems.

Residents have to transfer all their belongings to higher grounds and scoop out water out of their houses after a night of heavy rainfall. In 2013, heavy monsoon rain flooded these areas and resulted in 19 fatalities. Waters covering Sta Monica Subdivision roofs in Santo Tomas are common scenarios even after light rain. 

Mangan-Vaca has an undergoing construction which will be converted into a hospital, a mall, and a gas station. This spot used to be a grassland and rice field but is now covered with land. 

“It often creates lots of dust when it’s dry and they also block the canals which is why there is no proper canal line. I also don’t think it’s safe to construct there since it’s the only landfill”, Kyno Serafin, a resident of Mangan-Vaca, reacts.  

“During rainy seasons, it gets muddy because of the dust. Back in 2015, when a storm hit, all the mud trickled down until it eventually entered our houses.,” said Kathlene Gornez, a college student who experienced flood posed by the development in Subic.

She also shared that the rise of establishments in her house is evident and might bring future problems.

“Yung mga daan dito sa bundok, nagkakabitak-bitak at sira-sira na. Natatakot kami na nakatira dito sa ilalim na baka bumagyo at bumagsak na lang sa mga kabahayan.” Fiesta Subdivision was built in 2013 with a land area of 13.7 Hectares and 744 housing units. But also complained about its very steep roads and pathways. 

Aside from Mangan-Vaca, Garden of Prayer and Subic Prime Garden along the National Road used to be a mountain forest that has been flattened out to build a catholic church and memorial park. Beside it are Fiesta communities under construction which used to be trees and grassland. Right in front of it, the Garden of Gethsemane which also used to be a mountain forest, had a landslide accident in 2013. With 11 fatalities, it was reported as a permanent danger zone.  

On the other hand, the Local Government Unit of Subic has assured that they adhere to the parameters of sustainable development pertaining to environmental, economic, and social sustainability. 

Subic Municipal Planning and Development Coordinator, Mr. Genaro Ramoso, stated that before any construction projects are implemented, following guidelines set pursuant to the provisions of the National Building Code are done. There should also be locational clearance and environmental clearance issued by the Environmental Management Bureau in order to balance the environment and urbanization. 

“The LGU has Municipal land use committee to see to it that issuance of Zoning Classification is purely based pursuant to the Comprehensive Land Use Plan, particularly with the strong adherence to the aspect of Protection of Agricultural Lands or the concept of Strategic Agriculture and Fisheries Development Zone,” he said. ###

This article was written by Arielle dela Fuente from Zambales as a final requirement of AYEJ.org and the US Embassy’s “Green Beat Islas: An Online Environmental Journalism Training.”

Featured photo from tripadvisor.com.ph