DENR orders four banana companies to stop operations

DIGOS CITY, Philippines—The Department of Environment and Natural Resources  in Southern Mindanao has again ordered  four banana companies operating in Barangay Kapatagan here to cease their activities.

Emmanuel Isip, DENR regional technical director, said it was the fourth order the agency issued against Musahamat Farms Inc., Highland Agri-Ventures Inc., Panuda Banana Plantation and ABCDR Corp. due to their failure to secure environmental compliance certificates (ECCs).

Kapatagan is part of the Mt. Apo protected area but the DENR said plantations could be allowed in some areas provided that companies secure the necessary requirements.

Isip said this time, the DENR will make sure the companies would comply with the law.

“Imagine, three regional directors have also asked them before to secure ECCs or stop operating but they ignored them,” he told city councilors during the Sangguniang Panlungsod’s session on Thursday.

Isip said the DENR suspected that the owners of the companies had been ignoring the ECC requirements because of their ties to unidentified politicians.

Isip said the DENR was determined to enforce the law this time and that the four companies could only resume their plantation activities when they gave secured the ECCs.

But Kapatagan village chair Juanito Morales said he would  oppose the order because shutting down the plantations would have negative effects on his barangay’s economy.

Hundreds of locals work in the plantations, he said.

Vice Mayor Reynaldo Hermosisima said he was backing the DENR because it only wanted the law upheld.