Isla Verde Is Not Your Trojan Horse

There is no question: Isla Verde must be preserved.

This small islet, nestled in the Iloilo River in Brgy. Sooc, is a living sanctuary of mangroves and biodiversity. It is one of the most ecologically significant pockets of green in any urban center in the Philippines. Its destruction would mean the irreversible loss of habitat, the release of carbon stored for decades, and a weakening of Iloilo City’s flood defenses and climate resilience.

But let us be clear-eyed.

While the threat of dredging raised valid environmental concerns, the effort to protect Isla Verde has been diluted by opportunistic narratives and misleading activism. Some quarters have used the public outcry as a launchpad to attack entirely separate projects—most notably, the Waste-to-Energy (WtE) facility under construction in La Paz district, which lies miles away from the islet.

Isla Verde’s ecological value stands on its own. It does not need to be twisted into a decoy or Trojan horse to fuel opposition to another project that has no direct bearing on its preservation.

This tactic, now common on social media, sows confusion rather than clarity. Loosely worded petitions and impassioned online posts have blurred the lines between dredging operations in Sooc, Molo and industrial development in La Paz district. While both deserve public scrutiny, they are not the same fight. To conflate them is intellectually dishonest—and strategically unwise.

Environmental advocacy must be rooted in science and facts, not in fear, virality, or click-driven outrage. If the goal is to truly protect Isla Verde, then we must keep the discourse focused and responsible. Cherry-picking buzzwords and lumping all perceived threats into one big emotional campaign may win likes and shares, but it undermines credibility and alienates stakeholders.

There is a growing danger in this style of activism: when advocacy becomes a tool for political or ideological battles, its legitimacy erodes. When misinformation replaces merit, the public tunes out—even on issues that matter. Isla Verde’s defenders must not fall into this trap.

The science is already strong. Marine biologists and mangrove experts have spoken. Isla Verde is a critical ecological asset with irreplaceable contributions to biodiversity, water quality, and disaster mitigation. It is not an obstacle to development, but a natural ally in Iloilo’s urban sustainability. There is no need to exaggerate or distort the facts to justify its preservation.

The environment doesn’t need more Facebook heroes. It needs informed citizens and honest champions—people who take the time to understand the issues, weigh the science, and separate fact from fiction. Advocacy must be built on truth, not tropes.

Let us protect Isla Verde for what it is—not for what it is not.

Let it not be reduced to a pawn in someone else’s political game. Let it not be dragged into battles that distract from the real one it is fighting. And let us demand more from ourselves and our fellow advocates: more discipline, more discernment, and more devotion to the truth.

Passion must pair with precision. Environmental defense, if it is to succeed, must be both heartfelt and hardheaded.

Save Isla Verde—but don’t hijack it.