THREATS Masungi Georeserve in Baras town, Rizal province, in 2019, has been hailed as one of the most innovative and sustainable tourism projects in the world by the United Nations World Tourism Organization. The conservation and geotourism site, however, is threatened by encroachment, quarrying activities and development projects. —NIÑO JESUS ORBETA
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has ordered the suspension of mineral production sharing agreements (MPSA) with three mining firms in Masungi Georeserve in Baras, Rizal, amid reports of illegal quarrying in the protected area.
Separate suspension orders were issued by the DENR on Rapid City Realty and Development Corp., Quimson Limestone Inc. and Quarry Rock Group Inc., all of them no longer operational since 2004 but whose MPSAs have yet to expire.
“I am suspending the operation of those three MPSAs, and [removing] the companies’ authority to operate in order to remove the public’s speculation and ease their worries,” Acting Environment Secretary Jim Sampulna said on Wednesday.
Not a guarantee
The DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau said it would also order an investigation if there were any ongoing illegal quarrying operations despite the suspensions.
But Masungi Georeserve Foundation, in a statement on Thursday, said it was calling for the cancellation of the mining agreements and not a suspension.
“Nonoperation or even a suspension is not a guarantee that quarry operations will not commence in the future. It still gives them runway to eventually operate, despite the many prohibitions to the same,” it said.
It added: “These quarrying agreements were issued inside protected and conserved areas where quarrying is clearly prohibited by law.”
It also cited Rapid City and Quarry Rock’s previous statement that the firms would not give up on their “advocacy to revive the economy.”
“This forewarns us of the consequences if we fail to act urgently and uphold the law decisively against these quarrying interests,” the foundation said.
Last month, Malacañang urged the DENR to investigate the alleged quarrying activities in the conservation area after an appeal from environmental groups and academic institutions.
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