Sea inches closer as dredging worries Zambales folk

SAN FELIPE, ZAMBALES—For 52-year-old Myra Falloran, her family home in Sitio (subvillage) Tektek, Barangay Sindol, was meant to be an inheritance for her grandchildren.

Now, the sea is creeping closer.

Falloran said the shoreline began changing after dredging activities started in 2022. The operation was halted at one point but resumed in October 2023.

Article continues after this advertisement

Dredging in Zambales was conducted under Department of Environment and Natural Resources Administrative Order No. 13 to clear silted river channels and help prevent flooding. But residents, particularly fishermen, questioned the presence of 17 Chinese dredging vessels in San Felipe’s municipal waters.

FEATURED STORIES

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

The provincial government the suspended dredging in March 2025 following protests but lifted the suspension in June. Operations resumed in the Sto. Tomas and Bucao rivers, while the Maloma River remained suspended.

Falloran said the shoreline continued to erode, with waves now reaching homes during high tide.

“We can really feel the difference because this did not happen before. The sea would naturally come closer, but it never reached our homes,” she told the Inquirer.

Erosion

Falloran said she supported dredging for flood prevention but opposed offshore operations and the lack of consultation.

Article continues after this advertisement

“But I wish they had limited the dredging to the mouth of the river, not in the sea directly in front of our homes,” she said.

Falloran blamed the removal of sand for the erosion.

Article continues after this advertisement

“If they had not taken the sand, this would not have happened,” she said.

Her concerns come as heavy rains again displaced residents across Zambales. The provincial disaster office reported 604 families, or 1,854 people, evacuated as of Monday.

Falloran said flooding and damage to the coastal road have also affected fishermen’s livelihoods.

“I hope the damaged coastal road can also be rehabilitated soon … because there is no longer any place for our boats to be launched,” she said.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.

She appealed for long-term protection and livelihood assistance instead of temporary relief. INQ