Quarrying in Negros Occidental halted

BACOLOD CITY — The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in Western Visayas has issued a cease and desist order (CDO) against Hacienda Asia Plantations Inc. (HAPI), suspending all land development activities, including quarrying and road construction, related to its P2-billion palm oil project in Candoni, Negros Occidental.

CEASE AND DESIST ORDER The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) in Western Visayas has issued a cease and desist order against Hacienda Asia Plantations Incorporated, suspending all land development activities, including quarrying and road construction, related to its P2-billion palm oil project in Candoni, Negros Occidental. PHOTO COURTESY OF REYMUND TITONG

Vicente Losbañes, EMB-6 Enforcement Division chief, said the CDO was signed on June 5 and officially served to HAPI on June 13.

The order halts all earth-moving operations pending the resolution of regulatory and environmental issues tied to the project.

The bureau's action follows mounting calls from various sectoral groups and local officials, including Negros Occidental Gov. Eugenio Jose Lacson, for the EMB to intervene and examine the project's compliance with environmental policies.

Lacson welcomed the EMB's intervention, acknowledging its "prompt response and the proper exercise of regulatory authority in issuing the order."

The governor said that he expects HAPI "will fully cooperate and take the necessary steps to address the concerns raised by stakeholders."

Lacson added that the CDO earlier issued by the provincial government applied only to the company's quarrying activities, which falls under the Provincial Mining Ordinance.

At the heart of the controversy is the Integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA) granted to HAPI by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

Losbañes said the EMB is currently checking whether the IFMA permits palm oil cultivation, as such agreements are generally intended for forestry projects, typically involving the planting of fruit-bearing and forest trees.

He also noted that Environmental Compliance Certificates (ECCs) for IFMA projects are usually issued at the harvesting stage.

An ECC is an official document issued by the EMB certifying that a proposed project is not expected to cause significant adverse environmental impacts, provided the proponent adheres to specified conditions and mitigation measures.

Losbañes said the EMB is awaiting formal clarification from DENR-6 on whether HAPI's IFMA authorizes palm oil cultivation or is strictly intended for reforestation. Part of this review involves examination of the company's approved Comprehensive Development and Management Plan (CDMP).

The EMB can only move forward once these issues are resolved, particularly if the IFMA explicitly permits oil palm cultivation, said Losbañes.

Losbañes stressed that the DENR must also specify how much of the land is allocated for forest trees and how much for palm oil. If the portion intended for palm oil has already been clarified, the EMB may then proceed with issuing an ECC.