Residents of Barangay Agmanic in Santa Fe, Romblon gathered on Tuesday to oppose the coastal road/seawall project proposed by the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) for their community.
During a public hearing called by the Santa Fe Sangguniang Bayan, which acted as an oversight committee for the project, the residents voiced their concerns regarding the potential impact of the development.
The proposed coastal road project was initially intended to mitigate storm surges and prevent soil erosion in the area. However, despite DPWH explaining the advantages of the project, the residents unanimously opposed it unless modifications were made to its layout and design.
Their primary concern was that the project would negatively affect Agmanic’s beach, which is regarded as the tourism capital of Santa Fe and Romblon. The residents feared that the coastal road would resemble a seawall, altering the natural beauty of their shoreline.
“Barangay Agmanic is the tourist capital of Romblon. We don’t want them to destroy the beach. When Typhoon Frank hit, houses were damaged because of the storm’s extreme strength. But if the design looks like that, we will not allow it because it will ruin the beautiful view of Barangay Agmanic,” said Barangay Captain Roberto Solanoy in an interview with Romblon News Network in Tagalog.
In response, Santa Fe Vice Mayor Jessie Ann Madrid Punzalan-Del Prado stated in a separate interview that the DPWH’s coastal road project will no longer push through following the residents' rejection of the plan.
