• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
The Environment Management Bureau 6 has issued a Cease and Desist Order for Hacienda Asia Plantations Incorporated (HAPI) to halt its quarry operations, road construction, and other activities at its palm oil plantation in Candoni, Negros Occidental, according to Vicente Losbañes, EMB 6 Enforcement Division Head.
The CDO was served on June 13, Losbanes added.
The issuance of the CDO temporarily stopped the quarry operations, road construction, and other related activities of the palm oil project, pending resolution on the issuance of ECC.
EMB is also awaiting advice from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources regarding the classification of the more than 6,000 hectares of property and area covered by forest and the plantation.
The National Democratic Front (NDF) – Negros lauded the temporary suspension of activities of HAPI in Candoni, Negros Occidental, for failure to comply with an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).
Due to the collective action of farmers, farm workers, and indigenous people alongside environmental and human rights groups since 2023, the 6,600 hectare-wide project spanning the barangays of Agboy, Pauayan, and Gatuslao, that affects livelihoods and farm lots of over 100 farmers in the area, was halted, said a statement from NDF Negros.
Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson had earlier requested the EMB for the issuance of a CDO against HAPI’s earthmoving activities, as he also sought the intervention of Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Raphael Lotilla, citing HAPI operations without an ECC.
Our letter sent to HAPI is in effect an order to stop operations until they secure the required ECC, Lacson said.
Further, the CDO issued by EMB is in response also to our letter to them to issue such a CDO, the governor said further, as he also acknowledged the prompt response and exercise of the regulatory mandate of EMB to issue such an order.
We expect that HAPI will fully cooperate and immediately take on necessary measures to address the concerns raised by the stakeholders, he added.
After a prolonged silence, the local government was finally pressured into taking action due to consistent pressure from the people, said NDF Negros spokesman Bayani Obrero in the statement it issued.
Obrero called on the people, human rights groups, church people, environmental groups, and non-government organizations to continue the demand to totally halt the oil palm plantation.*
