House urged to probe into encroachments in Masungi Georeserve

File photo from MASUNGI GEORESERVE

MANILA, Philippines — House Deputy Minority leader and ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro urged the leadership of the House of Representatives to probe into the commercial encroachments of various resorts within the Masungi Georeserve in Tanay, Rizal.

Besides the inquiry on Captain’s Peak Resort’s operations within the Chocolate Hills protected area in Bohol, Castro also called on House leaders to look into the growing encroachment at the Masungi Reserve.

READ: Group managing Masungi tags more ‘encroachments’

“While it is good that a hearing on the issue of the Captain’s Peak Resort was constructed in the area of Chocolate Hills, we are asking the House leadership to also call for a hearing on House Resolutions 867 and 1598,” the teacher solon said in a statement issued on Sunday.

Previous reports revealed the Masungi Georeserve Foundation Inc. (MGFI) called the attention of Erin’s Place and Lihim na Batis on March 19. These two resorts are located in an area within the Upper Marikina River Basin (UMRB), under the municipality of Baras, Rizal.

Last March 21, the foundation announced that it had found seven more resorts and private developments in areas covered by the UMRB.

Of the seven, it identified five — Joeylot, Damun Bakery, Eastside Resort and Campsite, GSB Farm, and Bangui Farm.

Upon learning this, Castro emphasized the importance of the watershed to residents within the area and Metro Manila, especially during the rainy season.

“Dapat talagang i-monitor ang lahat ng mga protected areas sa buong bansa. Hindi uubra ang ginagawa ng Protected Areas Management Board (PAMB) dito at maging sa Bohol at sa iba pang lugar na basta na lang pinapayagan ang mga hindi sustenableng gawain sa mga protektadong lugar,” the lawmaker stressed.

(We should monitor the protected areas nationwide. We should not allow the PAMB to do this in Bohol and the other regions that authorize non-sustainable activities in protected areas.)

“Hindi rin pwede na inuupuan lang ng DENR ang mga reklamo laban sa mga ito. May order man ng pagtigil ay di naman ipinapatupad. Kaya marapat talaga na imbestigahan na ito ng Kongreso sa lalong madaling panahon, bago mahuli ang lahat,” she added.

(DENR should not sit this one out. Although they released an order, we should investigate why it was not enforced. That is why Congress must investigate this as soon as possible, before it’s too late.)