MALAY, Aklan — The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) has awarded the ₱7.78-billion Boracay bridge project to San Miguel Holdings Corp. (SMHC), drawing opposition from local officials, transport groups, and environmental advocates. The contract for the proposed 2.54-kilometer bridge, a major infrastructure plan in Malay, Aklan, that would directly connect Barangay Caticlan to...
Tag: environment
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Plant a tree, but make sure it’s not mahogany
Every tree has a story, a name, a role in healing, Glenda Flores Co told her audience. She spoke in elegant Filipino—“Bawa’t puno ay may kwento, may pangalan, may silbi sa paghilom”—at the close of the program held to launch the book “Philippine Native Trees 404: Rooted and Rising” last April 28 at Club Filipino...
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Dalipe River: Antique’s case for tourism without development
PANDAN, Antique—In a province known for its rugged coastlines and rising ecotourism spots, one inland destination continues to stand out by remaining largely untouched. Dalipe River in Barangay Guia in the municipality of Pandan offers a quiet alternative to the more frequented attractions in the area. Free from commercial development and large tourist crowds, it...
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Data centers raise concerns for energy-burdened households
In a low-income community in the Metro Manila suburb of Fairview, a large rectangular structure is rising near a busy highway clogged with vehicles, commuters, and commerce. Few passersby realize that this building is one of four data centers that will be built in Fairview. Together, they will draw up to 124 megawatts (MW) of...
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Running late for class, running late for home: the cost of progress in Antique
PANDAN, Antique—I clutched my jacket tighter as the cold, damp breeze brushed against my skin. The stillness of dawn carried just enough quiet to stir my thoughts. Around me, fellow passengers hurried on, each eager to reach their destination. It’s 5:30 a.m. “Hindi kaw karian ma-late?” My friend’s message read. Right, I have a 10...
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In one small town, a coal plant may hold the key to Philippines’ dirty energy exit
Bulk carrier ships dot the coast of Villanueva, an industrial town in Misamis Oriental in the southern Philippines. Flying different flags, they deliver raw materials and industrial inputs—coal from Indonesia among them—to power plants and factories. They are constantly arriving, departing, or docking at jetties that jut from small piers. “The ships arrive regularly. The...
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Rising seas, rising hopes: Why the Philippines can lead in green energy
Every year, Filipinos brace for typhoons. The seas are creeping ever closer to our shores, drought constantly threatens our farms, and heat waves are stretching our health systems. The Philippines has been called “ground zero” for climate change, and for good reason: It ranks among the most climate-vulnerable nations in the world. At first glance,...
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The employment impact of a national ban on single-use plastic will be manageable
Negotiations for an international plastics treaty ended in failure last month, setting the stage for a new round of talks. Nevertheless, local environmental groups argue that no deal is better than a bad one or a watered-down treaty. An agreement could have nudged the Philippine government to finally enact a national ban on single-use plastic...
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The Philippines launches a 15-year action plan for biodiversity conservation
ILOILO CITY – Top environment officials have launched the Philippine Biodiversity Strategy and Action Plan (PBSAP) 2024-2040 to implement the country’s roadmap for biodiversity conservation and align it with global conservation targets. “If we want to leave this planet in a better shape than when we found it, when we were born, then it is...
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An Agta wedding in the Sierra Madre demonstrates the precarity of tradition
It was not yet 6 a.m. and I was bouncing on the back of a hired motorcycle (locally called habal) navigating the rocky, slippery mountain road that leads to the sitio in General Nakar, Quezon, where I was to attend an Agta wedding. I had taken a bus past midnight in Manila and arrived a...