03/05/2024
CODE GREEN PH STANDS WITH MASUNGI | STATEMENT
In this climate crisis, where does the DENR stand in protecting this treasured area? Are they protecting the environment, or is this merely political maneuvering?
Masungi Georeserve Project, a 2022 UN Sustainable Development Goals Action Campaign Inspire Awardee, is an initiative that restores and preserves thousands of native trees and wildlife. However, it is being threatened after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources attempts to cancel the 2017 Memorandum of Agreement that was signed by the late environment secretary Gina Lopez and Masungi founder Ben Dumaliang. As stated on masungigeoreserve.com, the goal of this ecosystem restoration initiative is to rehabilitate approximately 2,700 hectares of deteriorated forest land surrounding Masungi Georeserve and fill in the gaps in efforts to stop deforestation in the region.The termination of this MOA could render these efforts ineffective due to possible risks posed by selfish human and business actions that may occur.
In an interview with Rappler on February 19, 2024, MGFI co-founder Billie Dumaliang talked about discovering drilling activities within the georeserve. "We saw drilling rigs, construction people, equipment, and even temporary structures. It’s the first time that we saw that kind of intrusion into the wildlife sanctuary," she said. In this scenario, who will benefit from the cancellation? Not the people, and certainly not the environment. It will be beneficial to land grabbers and greedy leisure businesses, similar to the incident that happened in the construction of a resort in protected parts of Bohol.
For context, the DENR asserted that the Memorandum of Agreement is unconstitutional based on the DOJ's opinion, which deemed the perpetual land trust granted to the Masungi Georeserve Foundation as unconstitutional. The contract states that “the project area shall be constituted as a perpetual land trust for conservation, subject to law, Masungi will be Trustee and shall continue to be so for as long as there is no neglect or violation of this agreement.” The Department of Justice, in its official opinion to the committee secretariat, argued that this provision contradicts Section 2, Article XII of the 1987 Constitution, which limits such agreements to 25 years. In response, the MGFI argued that the 25-year limitation applies to agreements concerning the exploration, development, and utilization of natural resources, not conservation efforts. They emphasize that the essence of conservation efforts differs from these activities. With this, MGFI contends that the 2017 MOA should be construed as a commitment to establish a perpetual land trust for conservation, rather than a perpetual license.
Code Green Philippines stands resolutely behind the Masungi Georeserve Foundation's cause. Our mission is to safeguard the environment, and thus, we implore the DENR to engage in a dialogue with MGFI to establish an inclusive agreement devoid of ulterior motives. Such an agreement should prioritize environmental preservation over the selfish desires of individuals who view it as a hindrance to their greedy schemes. Furthermore, we call upon the Marcos Administration to address this matter as it pertains to the national environmental concerns. We, in Code Green PH, value every cause that protects the environment. For the environment and for the people, stand with Masungi!
Sign the petition to protect the Masungi Geopark Project: bit.ly/protectmasungi
Pubmat: Zandra Canoy
Words by: Adrian Albacite
Source:
1. https://www.masungigeoreserve.com/destination/about-us
2.https://www.rappler.com/environment/drilling-operations-windmill-project-found-masungi-georeserve/
3. https://www.scribd.com/document/645703395/Doj-Opinion-2017moa
