No to Reclamation!
Save Manila Bay!
This visual ethnography is part of my Applied Anthropology master’s thesis for the University of Amsterdam, entitled “But what about us fishers?”: Coastal Development, Conflict, and Contestation in Manila Bay.
This thesis is centered on the lives of fisherfolk from a coastal village in Bacoor City, Cavite, Philippines, who face the permanent loss of access to the waters of Manila Bay due to massive coastal development and land reclamation projects. In 2021, hundreds of fisher families were relocated to an inland town 35 kilometers away; however, many returned to the coast, living in makeshift structures because they had no viable alternatives. These images aim to make their attachments to the coastal commons visible through daily livelihood practices. They highlight the intricate relationship between fisherfolk and their environment, revealing a way of life now threatened by enclosure and forced displacement.
Many Filipino people’s organizations have struggled alongside the fisherfolk to resist further reclamation and displacement, urging the questions, Who is development for? Whose interests do these projects serve? Despite its popular image as being ‘dead’, Manila Bay is a rich, biodiverse ecological system - yet the people living alongside it do not benefit from its wealth due to the prioritization of corporate interests.
EITHER/OR? | Hectares of mussel farms, marked by floating water jugs and styrofoam, foreground the Manila Bay skyline, which features iconic commercial landmarks such as the world-famous SM Mall of Asia and the Entertainment City casinos. Such sea farming structures, which are significant investments, are at risk of being dismantled once land reclamation projects in these municipal waters are underway.
NET FISHERS | Small-scale net fishers scope the bay for fish to catch. Although they have returned to the coast in an attempt to earn a living, they also express frustration with the decline of their catch which they attribute to dredging operations related to land reclamation projects - “Nowadays, you are lucky if you can catch five tubs!” shares a fisherman who remembers catching 20-30 tubs of fish in the past.
HARVEST | Mussel farmers prepare to harvest. They utilize compressor tubes to dive underwater,enabling them to breathe as they feel for the mussels with their hands. If they are big enough,the divers will pull on the mussels and place them in a net basket which hangs on their necks.These baskets can weight up to 40 kilos so it is important that those who perform this task arecapable swimmers.
MUSSEL FARMERS | Mussel farmers work together on a vessel to sort freshly harvested mussels in Manila Bay. In the 1950s, Bacoor became known as "the birthplace of mussel farming" in the Philippines. Mussel farmers comprise the fisherfolk community along the Bacoor coast who have been displaced and relocated.
PAGTANGGAL | This image depicts a practice in the coastal village called pagtanggal where people can assist with the tedious task of removing fish from the net. Those who help are given a small portion of the catch in exchange for their labor. Some fishers have expressed their participation in this practice as a means to have something to eat on days when they have not caught anything.
FISH VENDORS | Within the village, a wet market for the residents is the realm of the female fish vendors, who are often the relatives of fishermen. Women rely on selling fish as a way to help support their families – “This is where I get the money for their education and their everyday needs” shares a fish vendor who cares for her four grandchildren.
GENERATIONAL | A family in the coastal village works together to clean a large order of mussels before they are delivered to a buyer. This illustrates how small-scale fisheries are often a family affair, with knowledge and skills passed down through generations, starting from a young age.
I argue that the coast is not an “empty shell” primed for urban expansion, but a critical source of livelihood, identity, heritage, social bonds, and support for its existing local users. By documenting the daily activities and communal interactions of fishers, this visual ethnography underscores the importance of the coastal environment in sustaining their social, cultural, and economic fabric. It emphasizes the need to consider not only the potential gains from development projects but also the substantial socio-economic and environmental losses that such developments entail. There must be a better way.
This is a call-to-action to cease the reclamation of Manila Bay, and to treat fisherfolk communities with the respect and dignity they deserve as a crucial backbone of the Filipino economy and society. Defend our fishers! No to reclamation! Save Manila Bay!
HUSBAND & WIFE | A fisherman meticulously sews a fishing net under a single bulb as his wife looks on. They waited for the sun to set to avoid the heat in the unshaded space that was once the now-demolished home of relatives. Their dedication highlights how coastal families confront the pressures of urban development and environmental changes, working together to sustain their livelihoods despite the challenges.
MOTHER & CHILD | A fisherwoman holds her young son tenderly. When thinking about their displacement from the coastal village she laments, “This is the place where we blossomed, where we developed our minds and became adults. This is where we got married, where we had children. We really thought this would be the place where we would have our grandchildren too.”
RESOURCES // STAY UPDATED
I've put together a list news articles, videos, press releases, papers etc. to help you better understand the issues surrounding Manila Bay, land reclamation projects and fisherfolk communities.
- Manila Bay Land Reclamation Resource List https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RROTgLq7lIoFbgWlPn1cL0KcgmzkT-kKqL0dEGpCwd0/edit?usp=sharing
- Read my master's thesis here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/15LOvWHKCo3nm2bdoUTDmzMGGq4YaIUwh/view?usp=drive_link
- To stay updated on events and actions in the Netherlands, follow @balikbayan.nl
Follow and support grassroots organizations in the Philippines who are working and resisting on the ground:
- PAMALAKAYA Fisherfolk Federation (Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas) https://www.facebook.com/Pamalakaya
- Save Manila Bay Campaign https://www.savemanilabay.ph/
- Akap Ka Manila Bay https://www.facebook.com/NoToReclamation
- Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE) https://www.facebook.com/kalikasan
- Oceana Philippines https://www.facebook.com/oceana.ph
If you have any questions about this project or would like to connect, please do not hesitate to reach out: miatengcophotography@gmail.com
CAVITEX | Villagers often trace back the environmental changes the constructionof the Cavitex coastal highway the early 2000s. "When the Cavitex wasn’t there yet, the view was wide, the fish were just close by" shares one fisher.
LOST SPECIES | Environmental changes brought about by the construction of the coastal highway include the disappearance of the clam species halaan which was previously something that people in the village could easilycultivate.
KAPAK | Common species found in Manila Bay are migratory water birds like tagak (egret) and fish like kapak (mullet).
TAGAK | Common species found in Manila Bay are migratory water birds like tagak (egret) and fish like kapak (mullet).
UNCERTAINTY | Along the coast, the fate of fishing boats owned by displaced fisherfolk remains uncertain which also compels them to return to the village. A fisherman’s wharf and dormitory which was supposed to house relocated fishers and their boats to keep them close to their industry has not yet materialized since its groundbreaking ceremony in May 2022.
CHANGING LANDSCAPES | Construction equipment now occupies the same coastal space where homes once stood. Although reclamation projects in Manila Bay were temporarily suspended in 2023 to review their implementation and impacts, the Philippine Reclamation Authority has announced that the Bacoor Reclamation and Development Project may soon be allowed to resume.