SAN JOSE, Antique — The Regional Trial Court (RTC) here has ordered the immediate suspension of construction activities at the controversial Funda-Dalipe esplanade after finding an “extreme urgency” to prevent possible “irreparable and irreversible injury” to the coastal environment and affected fisherfolk.
In an order dated December 12, 2025, RTC Branch 11 granted the request for a Temporary Environmental Protection Order (TEPO) sought by the Funda-Dalipe Fisherfolk Association (FDFFA), Dihon sa ’Raya, Inc., and private citizen Remy G. Muescan, effectively halting the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and its contractor, J.E. Tico Construction Co., Inc., from continuing works on the esplanade/seawall project in Barangay Funda-Dalipe.
“After a careful perusal of the allegations in the Joint Complaint, the court found that matters discussed therein are of extreme urgency, and there is a need to prevent a possible irreparable and irreversible injury to the plaintiffs and the environment if the construction of the seawall/esplanade in Funda-Dalipe, San Jose, Antique is not temporarily stopped,” the court said in its order.
Pending resolution of the main case, the court ruled that “there is a need for the issuance of a Temporary Environmental Protection Order under Rule 8, Section 5 of A.M. No. 09-6-8-SC [Rules of Procedure for Environmental Cases].”
“WHEREFORE, the prayer for the Issuance of Temporary Environmental Protection Order is hereby GRANTED,” the order stated.
The court further ordered the DPWH and J.E. Tico Construction Co., Inc. to refrain from further performing construction activities on the esplanade/seawall project “until the order is lifted,” and directed the respondents to submit their comment on the joint complaint within 10 days from receipt of the order.
The citizen’s suit stemmed from allegations that the ₱1.5-billion DPWH Esplanade/Seawall Project has caused serious environmental damage, including the burial of turtle nesting grounds and siltation of coral reefs, and was undertaken without the required environmental permits.
The complainants also accused the project of encroaching on protected foreshore lands and the 20-meter salvage easement, endangering Hawksbill, Olive Ridley, and Green Sea Turtle nests and damaging coral reefs within the Funda-Dalipe Marine Protected Area (MPA).
“This esplanade has prevented us from safely mooring our boats,” said FDFFA president Rowel N. Saldajeno. “Our turtles are being crushed, our reefs suffocated, and our livelihoods destroyed. We fisherfolk demand justice before Antique’s seas become graveyards.”
Lawyer Rolly O. Pedriña, president of Dihon sa ’Raya, Inc., said the case highlights a broader national problem.
“This is not isolated — illegal coastal reclamations and seawalls are rampant nationwide. The San Jose case is a beacon: Restore our coasts, hold the powerful accountable, and rebuild with nature, not against it,” he said.
The respondents named in the case include the Municipality of San Jose de Buenavista, DPWH, J.E. Tico Construction Co., the Environmental Management Bureau, and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.
The court will now evaluate whether a writ of continuing mandamus should be issued to compel long-term environmental rehabilitation and compliance./PN
