Castro: Revoke all permits approved for Masungi

‘TAKE IMMEDIATE ACTION’ This photo from the Masungi Georeserve Foundation shows workers and their drilling equipment in the Cuyambay, Tanay side of the Masungi Karst Conservation Area.

House Deputy Minority Leader France Castro on Sunday urged the government to revoke all permits approved for the Masungi Georeserve protected area in Rizal province, saying operations there would “wreak havoc on our fragile ecology” and cause “dangerous floods” in Metro Manila as it happened in Mindanao.

Castro, ACT Teachers party list representative, also said Congress should look into the “latest encroachment” of drilling activities at the protected site reported by the Masungi Georeserve Foundation, caretaker of the area.

In her statement, the lawmaker called on the government to relocate the project.

Singapore-based Vena Energy, the mother company of Rizal Wind Energy Corp., which the foundation said had been drilling in the area, said on Friday it had ceased all its activities there.

But Vena Energy also noted that it had the “necessary permits, including the environmental compliance certificate, for the study on the potential of wind energy.”

‘Industrial interests’

Castro said “It is essential to prioritize the preservation of our natural heritage and biodiversity over industrial interests that could irreversibly damage the ecosystem.”

“The drilling inside the Masungi Karst Conservation Area for the planned wind energy farm poses a severe threat to the environment, particularly endangering the local bird and bat species as well as the delicate ecosystem of the area,” Castro said, reaffirming earlier assertions by the foundation.

She stressed the importance of upholding existing environmental protections and ensuring that industrial projects do not encroach upon sensitive ecological zones.

“Congress should also investigate this latest encroachment in the protected area [because] when portions of it are destroyed then it would take thousands of years to restore,” she added.

‘Vital ecological site’

Castro remarked that it seemed businessmen were very intent on infiltrating the Masungi Georeserve, “using all kinds of excuses to unscrupulously profit from its natural resources.”

“We stand in solidarity with the caretakers of the Masungi Georeserve in their advocacy for the protection of this vital ecological site,” she said, adding: “It is imperative that we uphold environmental laws and consult with key stakeholders to ensure the sustainable management of our natural resources.”

READ: Masungi caretakers resist planned wind energy farm

The lawmaker also sought a review of the project’s impact on the environment and wildlife, as she called on authorities to prioritize conservation efforts over industrial development.

“We urge the government to heed the concerns raised by environmental advocates and take immediate action to protect the Masungi Georeserve from irreversible harm,” Castro appealed.

“We must uphold our commitment to environmental stewardship and sustainable development for the benefit of current and future generations,” she said. INQ