Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson and Diocese of San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza have sought the intervention of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in the palm oil plantation project of Hacienda Asia Plantations Inc. (HAPI) in Candoni town due to the alleged lack of an environmental compliance certificate (ECC).
On Friday, June 13, the provincial government released a copy of Lacson’s letter dated June 9 addressed to DENR – Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) – Western Visayas Regional Director Ramar Niel Pascua, requesting the issuance of a cease-and-desist order (CDO) against HAPI’s land development activities.
“As you are aware, HAPI has failed to secure an ECC as mandated under the Philippine Environmental Assessment Impact System, specifically Presidential Decree No. 1586,” Lacson said.
He said the ECC is “a critical document that ensures that projects likely to have significant environmental impacts undergo a thorough assessment and implement measures to mitigate adverse effects.”
The governor said that during the inspection of the provincial government-formed multi-partite monitoring team (MMT) on March 20, the private firm was directed not to proceed with any activity until it secures an ECC.
Despite the clear directive, Lacson said HAPI proceeded with its plantation establishment activities using heavy equipment, such as bulldozers and backhoes, calling it a “blatant disregard for environmental regulations.”
“Given the circumstances, we respectfully request that EMB Region 6 [Western Visayas] take immediate action to enforce environmental laws and regulations. Issuing a CDO would be a crucial step in compelling HAPI to comply with the law and prevent further environmental harm,” Lacson said.
In a separate letter dated June 9, Lacson also urgently requested Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Raphael Lotilla for intervention in the issues related to the operations of HAPI in Candoni.
The proposed palm oil plantation project covers 6,652 hectares, spanning the villages of Gatuslao, Agboy and Payauan.
Meanwhile, Alminaza, who chairs the Wisdom Council of civil society organization Negrosanon Initiative for Climate and the Environment (NICE), called on the DENR to immediately respond to the governor’s appeal and the people’s demands.
“We urge Secretary Lotilla and the DENR to come to Negros and listen to the voices on the ground, especially those who are most impacted by this plantation. Every day that HAPI’s operations continue, irreversible damage is being done to our forests, watersheds, wildlife, and communities,” Alminaza said in a statement on Thursday night, June 12.
NICE secretary general Joshua Villalobos, who said they have actively engaged in dialogue with local officials and mobilized public support through an online petition, called the governor’s move to seek intervention with the DENR “a milestone in our collective environmental justice efforts.”
Their group also reported that HAPI has agreed to stop all earth-moving operations in its Candoni site, after a dialogue with representatives of the DENR, Provincial Environment Management Office, religious groups, and civil society organizations on June 11, although HAPI has yet to issue a statement confirming this.
On June 12, Candoni Mayor Ray Ruiz sent a “final notice to comply” to HAPI chief executive officer Alfred Joseph Araneta and its board of directors.
“This communication serves as a final and formal demand for your company’s immediate compliance with the environmental recommendations and cease-and-desist instructions issued by the MMT, as well as the Office of the Provincial Governor of Negros Occidental,” he said. (PNA)