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NEW PORT. A new port in Negros Occidental town is seen to boost both the local tourism and sugar industries on Negros and Panay islands.
MPSA
Now, the Philippine Ports Authority and the Manapla town government say they won't allow the port to operate until its developer secures DENR's green light
NEGROS OCCIDENTAL, Philippines – The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) and the municipal government of Manapla allowed a private company to develop a port despite lacking a required foreshore lease agreement (FLA) from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).
Rodel Lagmay, PPA-Negros Occidental port manager, said the construction proceeded based on an “omnibus undertaking” document.
The town government also permitted the company, Manapla Port Stevedoring and Arrastre Corporation (MPSA), to construct facilities on the 47,168-square-meter foreshore area in Barangay Punta Salong.
Lagmay said, “Omnibus undertaking is among the minimum requirements required by our agency for the port proponent to undergo initial dealings that include development within the proposed area of port construction.”
An omnibus undertaking is a sworn statement in which an applicant attests to the accuracy of information provided and commits to comply with regulations.
Manapla municipal engineer Rona Gotera confirmed that the local government had issued building permits only for structures within the port compound.
Aside from these, MPSA was also able to secure a certificate of non-coverage (CNC) from the Environmental Management Bureau of the DENR, which certifies that the project does not require an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).
Lagmay said the CNC served as the basis for the omnibus undertaking document, allowing initial improvements in the area that was previously home to an abandoned feeder port.
The PPA and the Manapla municipal government said they would not allow MPSA to operate the port until MPSA secures a DENR-approved FLA.
The Manapla port, which opened to the public on February 1, had been scheduled to begin commercial operations for roll-on/roll-off vessels on April 1.
The PPA said it would need to check on aspects of the port, including the water depth at the docking side, the port apron, the passenger terminal, navigational routes, and the vessels using the port.
“But on top of these things to be ensured first are, of course, the many pertinent documents needed, including the FLA from DENR and a business permit from the local government unit concerned,” Lagmay said. “Without these two very important documents – FLA and business permit – we will not risk issuing a permit to operate.”
Manapla Mayor Manuel Escalante III also said the same thing earlier.
Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office head Joan Nathaniel Gerangaya confirmed that there was no FLA yet for the Manapla port, although the MPSA won a public bidding. He said the FLA would come from the environment secretary.
The absence of a DENR-approved FLA for the Manapla port was revealed when the MPSA filed criminal and administrative complaints against four Land Bank of the Philippines (LBP) officials and employees at the Ombudsman-Visayas in Cebu City on March 5.
MPSA accused the government bankers of withholding an approved P180-million loan for the port project. It turned out that the reason why the loan was not released was the absence of the FLA from the DENR.
MPSA lawyer Rey Gorgonio said the bank’s failure to release the loan despite a notice of loan approval in 2023, constituted bad faith, graft, and corrupt practices. The notice expired in 2024.
Gorgonio said the non-release of the loan was sabotage, asserting that the FLA was supposedly a post-release requirement. – Rappler.com
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