BY IRA KAREN APANAY SENIOR REPORTER

A multinational cement company will embark on a reef replacement project within the shoreline of Bantayan Island in Cebu province using a special mixture of cement to prevent further degradation of natural reefs in the area.

Darwin Mariano, public affairs director for Cemex Philippines and Cemex Asia, said the company is targeting to make 450 reefs to cover 300 meters of shoreline of Bantayan Island.

“We are targeting to drop artificial reefs on summer. To start manufacturing on the first quarter of 2010 and to deploy on summer,” Marinao said adding that the reefs are as tall as a man and would need vessels to transport them from its cement factory in Cebu to the island.

Mariano said that the Bantayan Island used to be a dynamite fishing area and the old fishing habit of fishermen has destroyed a lot of reefs in the island.

The technical team, which is in charge of the design of the reefs, is composed of environmentalists, civil engineers and chemist, have agreed to create an artificial reef design made from a special mixture of cement, Mariano said.

In an interview, Mariano explained that the special mixture is from Type 1P cement or blended portland cement with additives to match the acidity or ph level of the ocean in the particular area.

“The artificial reef design is made from a special mixture of cement that would match the salinity of cement and the salinity of water in the area, otherwise it will erode,” Mariano said.

Mariano further explained that artificial reefs would protect natural reef from wave currents in the ocean.

He added that the increasing surface temperature of the ocean because of climate change causes extreme current of waves that destroy reefs.

“The artificial reef made from special mixture of cement could encourage the growth of new reefs because it is concrete unlike the old tires, which are commonly used to replace reef and corals,” he said.

Mariano said Cemex has collaborated with Batas Kalikasan for the said environmental project in Bantayan Island in Cebu province.

The reef replacement project is third conservation program of the said company in the country, besides its whale shark conservation project in Donsol, Sorsogon.

Mariano also announced that fishermen in the island are now reporting of whale shark sightings.

Cemex is the only cement company in the Philippines tag with eco label, which the company received two years ago.