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ARTA should stay away from reclamation projects: Sen. Cynthia Villar asks officials of the Anti-Red Tape Authority (ARTA) for their commitment not to allow the agency to be used in expediting the issuance of permits for reclamation projects. Villar, during the continuation of the hybrid marathon budget deliberation Thursday, November 11, 2021, particularly cited the case involving a reclamation project in Manila Bay that would affect residents of the cities of Las Piñas, Parañaque and Bacoor. Villar said that ARTA is being used as a reason by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to justify the issuance of an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) for the reclamation project. “You (ARTA) are supposed to facilitate the ease of doing business of companies, not reclamation. Reclamation is a very touchy subject for all people, especially if it will cause floodings to our cities. I just want a commitment from ARTA that they will not be used by the DENR to facilitate the issuance of ECC to reclamation projects,” Villar said. (Screen grab/Senate PRIB)