• THERESA MAE DULMAN
Officer-in-Charge of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Region 6, Vicente Losbañes, said that the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) application of Hacienda Asia Plantations, Inc. (HAPI) in the municipality of Candoni remains on hold.
In a letter dated July 23, addressed to Negrosanon Initiative for Climate and the Environment (NICE), Losbañes said that suspension will remain in effect until the matter is resolved in accordance with the requirements of the Integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA) law.
It can be recalled that EMB issued a cease-and-desist order to HAPI last June 13 for their earth-moving activities while continuously and operating without an ECC, and proceeding without free, prior, and informed consent from the indigenous peoples (IPs) in areas with ancestral domain claims.
According to NICE, the 6,652.30 hectare oil palm plantation project covers the barangays of Gatuslao, Agboy, and Payauan, noting that around 4,000 ha. of the said area is occupied by the IP’s.
“NICE will continue to put pressure on DENR and other relevant government agencies to ensure that we follow the law and uphold the welfare of the people and the environment,” Secretary-General Joshua Villalobos said.
Since the operation began, NICE has been closely monitoring the project and started a petition campaign “Protect Biodiversity and Indigenous Land: Stop Palm Oil Plantation in Negros Occidental” that gathered more than 450 signatures from Negrense advocates.*
