• GILBERT P. BAYORAN
Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has sought the intervention of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on what he calls pressing environmental concerns in connection with the operations of Hacienda Asia Plantations Inc. (HAPI) in Candoni town without securing an environmental compliance certificate (ECC).
In his letter dated June 9 addressed to Secretary Raphael Lotilla, Lacson said that HAPI, during the two meetings with the multi-partite monitoring team (MMT) on Nov. 7, 2024 and Jan. 23 this year, even acknowledged the need to secure an ECC before proceeding with its plantation establishment activities.
HAPI manages a 4,000-hectare oil palm plantation in Barangay Gatuslao, which is being reported by the Negrosanon Initiatives on Climate in the Environment (NICE) to be inhabited by indigenous peoples (IPs).
During the exit conference of the MMT, composed of representatives from the DENR, Environment Management Bureau, Provincial Environment Management Unit, Candoni municipal government, barangay officials, and IPs on March 20, they had discussed the need for HAPI to secure an ECC.
“Unfortunately, HAPI has continued to conduct earth-moving activities, causing potential harm to the environment, without the requisite ECC,” the governor said.
An online petition is being initiated by NICE, a local civil society organization, calling for the immediate stoppage of environmental destruction caused by HAPI operations.
The petition highlights the concerns of the local community and underscores the need for urgent action to protect the environment,” Lacson said.
“As the chief executive of DENR, your leadership is crucial in ensuring that the environmental laws and regulations are enforced, and that the rights of local communities are protected,” he told Lotilla in the letter.
Lacson said that if given the opportunity, he is ready to discuss the matter with Lotilla to explore possible solutions aimed at addressing environmental concerns surrounding HAPI’s operations.
In the petition, NICE claimed that about 1,000 families face displacement due to the expansion of the palm oil plantation. | GB
