Protect our watersheds and environment

We pen this letter to shed light on the concerns surrounding the response of DENR Undersecretary Ignatius Loyola Rodriguez to Mr. Jarius Bondoc (Sept. 12, 2023).

Contrary to Usec. Rodriguez’s statements, it appears that senior officials in the DENR are being misinformed about the actual situation on the ground.

Despite the issuance of 40 out of 80 Cease and Desist Orders by the Calabarzon regional director against swimming pool resorts in watersheds, these resorts blatantly continue their operations. Instead of facing legal consequences, these flagrant violators are being rewarded by rogue DENR officials with clearances and contracts for Special Use in Protected Areas (SAPA). This has resulted in continued illegal operations, further damaging our fragile environment.

These serious issues extend further. Between 2006 and 2007, Penro Rustia wrongfully issued 25 free patents to the KABALAT syndicate, an open defiance of existing laws and standing orders from successive DENR secretaries. Despite orders for eviction and reversion, the KABALAT are still on site, illegally selling watershed land and constructing facilities, with not a single patent being reverted to the watershed to date.

Moreover, several questionable survey plans signed by Calabarzon officials exist, enabling syndicates to sell, occupy and develop the titled Lot 10 property of the Republic, further contributing to the issue. The silence from DENR officials on these matters is not only disturbing but it also undermines the government’s efforts in conserving the environment.

The Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), headed by Director Tamoria, passed a surprising resolution recommending the cancellation of the Masungi Geopark Project (MGP) Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) on unfounded grounds, without due process. This hasty resolution came after the PAMB provided clearances to the two biggest resorts operating within the MGP project area, favoring activities that glaringly flout the law and harm the fragile watershed.

Masungi conservationists have been suffering from a series of harassments, intimidation and violence, emboldened by certain public statements from high DENR officials and the PAMB’s