Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson is calling on Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Raphael Perpetuo Lotilla to take immediate action on a palm oil plantation’s continued operations without an Environment Compliance Certificate (ECC) in Candoni, Negros Occidental.
Activities at Hacienda Asia Plantations Inc. (HAPI) have raised significant concerns among local communities, civil society organizations, and the provincial government, Lacson said in his letter to Lotilla dated Monday, June 9, and released to the media Thursday.
The Negrosanon Initiatives on Climate in the Environment (NICE), a local civil society organization, is calling for a halt to the palm oil plantation’s operations to protect biodiversity and indigenous land.
The governor said during the meetings on Nov. 7, 2024 and Jan. 23 this year HAPI acknowledged the need to secure an ECC before proceeding with its plantation establishment activities.
However, despite this acknowledgment and the subsequent directive from the Multi-Partite Monitoring Team (MMT) to secure the ECC, HAPI has failed to obtain the necessary document, Lacson said.
HAPI has continued to conduct earth-moving activities, causing potential harm to the environment, without the requisite ECC, he added.
Lacson furnished Lotilla with a copy of an online petition filed by NICE “calling for the immediate stoppage of environmental destruction caused by HAPI’s operations”.
The petition highlights the concerns of the local community and underscores the need for urgent action to protect the environment, the governor said.
NICE said in 2009 the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) awarded a 25-year Integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA) to HAPI, a joint venture between the Consunji family’s Sirawai Plywood and Lumber Corporation and Alfred Joseph Araneta.
The project involves converting approximately 6,652 hectares of forest and grassland in barangays Gatuslao, Agboy, and Payauan in Candoni into a palm oil plantation, NICE claimed.
Notably, around 4,000 hectares of this land are inhabited by Indigenous Peoples (IPs), it said.
Approximately 1,000 families face displacement due to the expansion of the palm oil plantation, with many having cultivated these lands for generations, growing crops such as corn, pineapple, sugarcane, and vegetables, NICE said.
Residents also allege that HAPI failed to secure Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) from the affected Indigenous Peoples (IP) communities – a requirement under Philippine law for projects that impact ancestral domains, NICE said.
The project also reportedly commenced without obtaining the necessary ECC from the DENR, resulting in a Notice of Violation from the Environmental Management Bureau, it added
The palm oil project has caused significant environmental degradation, NICE said.
Protecting biodiversity and Indigenous land in Candoni is crucial not only for the well-being of the local ecosystem, but also for the preservation of the cultural heritage and livelihood of Indigenous Peoples who have cared for these lands for generations, NICE said.
The ongoing palm oil project threatens to destroy critical forest areas, pollute water systems, displace farming communities, and exhibits blatant disregard of the law, it alleged.
These lands are home to unique plant and animal species, many of which may not survive the rapid environmental changes caused by deforestation, soil erosion, and siltation, NICE said.
“Let us come together to protect what remains of our forests, rivers, and ancestral domains-for the future of our children, our communities, the people, and the planet,” NICE added.*