Calls to stop the road construction project traversing the protected area of the Northern Negros Natural Park (NNNP) have intensified in the wake of the flashfloods that ravaged several areas in northern Negros Occidental late last week, leaving two people dead and affecting more than 90,000 individuals.
The petition at bataris.org.ph, which was launched three months ago by Negros Environmental Watch, called on President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Department of Public Works and Highways, Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Lacson, and the Protected Area Management Board, to stop the Silay-Cadiz-Calatrava road construction.
But the recent development has furthered amplified the call.
The flash floods triggered by the continuous heavy rains late last week happened a week after an earlier flash flood hit four localities in the third district of the province, during the New Year.
More than 5,000 signatures were reached by the petition during the weekend.
In the petition, the group said that the NNNP is a protected forest area in the province and an ancestral domain of the Ata-Negrito tribe. It added that it is spread over five municipalities and six cities.
On Aug. 27, 2020, PAMB allowed the DPWH to proceed with the road construction from the municipality of Calatrava to Barangay Patag in Silay City which traverses the NNNP, the group said.
“We strongly condemn the decision of the PAMB – the mayors and representatives from DENR – to giving a go signal to DPWH to proceed with the road construction inside the NNNP which violates all laws governing natural park and protected area management,” the group stressed.
They urged the Negrenses to sign and share the petition “to hold the PAMB and DENR accountable for this gross violation, and once and for all, end the systemic land occupation inside the natural park for reasons of greed and control.”
“We need to protect the last remaining forest habitat on the island of Negros. Let us stand up for the vulnerable and voiceless wildlife that is unique to our homeland. Let us unite to protect our environment because the ones who are mandated to do so are not,” they added.*