By CESAR JOLITO III

The palm oil plantation operated by Hacienda Asia Plantation Inc. (HAPI) in Negros Occidental’s Candoni town remains under a cease and desist order (CDO) issued by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) due to unresolved environmental violations and continued non-compliance with regulatory requirements.

According to the DENR, HAPI has yet to secure an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) and the required Free, Prior and Informed Consent from the affected indigenous communities, both of which are mandatory for the operation of the plantation.

The company has also failed to submit its updated Comprehensive Development and Management Plan (CDMP), despite repeated requests and follow-ups from concerned agencies.

The CDMP is intended to detail corrective and mitigating measures that the company must implement to address environmental and social impacts linked to its operations.

The DENR said the CDO will remain in effect until all legal, environmental and social requirements are fully complied with.

These matters were discussed during an updating meeting held in Bacolod City on January 15.

The meeting was requested by the Negrosanon Initiative for Climate and the Environment (NICE) and was presided over by DENR – Negros Island Region Director Dr. Charlie Fabre, with Assistant Regional Director Engineer Joan Gerangaya in attendance.

Representatives from the Negros Occidental provincial government and the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples also participated in the discussions.

During the meeting, NICE reiterated its call for strict accountability on the part of HAPI, emphasizing the need for transparency, community participation and adherence to environmental and indigenous peoples’ rights in any future permitting process./CJ, WDJ