Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has issued an executive order creating a multipartite monitoring team to monitor the environmental compliance and sustainability efforts of Hacienda Asia Plantations Inc. (HAPI), an Integrated Forestry Management Agreement area in Candoni, Negros Occidental, Provincial Legal Officer Alberto Nellas Jr. said on Sunday, Oct. 3.
The Group of Environmental Socialist Inc. and Green Alert Network Inc. in a letter DENR Environment Management Bureau (EMB) VI Director Ramar Niel Pascua dated Oct. 23 are calling for a Cease and Desist order and the revocation of the IFMA granted to HAPI.
The proponent of the ongoing land clearing and development of a palm oil plantation in Barangay Gatuslao has not applied for an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) from EMB, they pointed out.
“Failure to comply with the requirement for an ECC is not only a violation of environmental laws and regulations but also a threat to the communities and environment affected by the ongoing land clearing and development,” they said.
“The continued destruction of forests and farms in Barangay Gatuslao is a clear indication of non-compliance with environmental regulations and is grounds for the issuance of a Cease and Desist order and the revocation of the IFMA granted to Hacienda Asia Plantations Inc. (HAPI),” they claimed.
Lacson, in his EO. said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has approved the Comprehensive Development Management Plan of HAPI under IFMA No. 04-2009 for its oil palm, agricultural, and agro-forestry operations, subjecting it to regular monitoring to ensure compliance with environmental laws and regulations.
He said one of the thrusts of the Negros Occidental provincial government under its Abanse Negrense Agenda is the sustainable management of natural resources within the province.
He created the multipartite monitoring team because there is a need for a collaborative oversight mechanism involving various stakeholders, including government agencies, the project proponent, non-governmental organizations, local communities, and environmental experts, to ensure transparency, accountability, and the effective implementation of environmental safeguards, he said.
The Province of Negros Occidental is committed to upholding environmental integrity, promoting responsible agricultural and agro-forestry practices, and ensuring that operations, like those of Hacienda Asia Plantations Inc., contribute to the long-term sustainability and well-being of local communities and ecosystems, Lacson said.
Candoni farmers in a dialog with Provincial Environment Management Office representatives and Nellas on Oct. 30 aired concern over alleged land grabbing, erosion, destruction of native trees, narrowing of river, and bulldozers destroying farms with the help of armed guards, a PEMO report said.
There is another dialog on the farmers complaints at the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office on Thursday, Nov. 7, PEMO head Julie Ann Bedrio said.*