Green advocates, scientists urge Marcos to protect Masungi's reforestation efforts
MANILA, Philippines — Environmentalists, scientists and government officials appealed to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. on Monday to protect the ecologically important Masungi Geopark Project and its defenders.
In an open letter released on World Environment Day, 70 individuals urged Marcos to support the 2,700-hectare reforestation project in the Upper Marikina Watershed, a critical protected area in Rizal province.
“We condemn the attacks against Masungi’s environment defenders in the form of disinformation, political and legal harassment, and physical violence. These heroes deserve the nation’s gratitude, not oppression,” the letter read.
The signatories stressed the “invaluable” contributions of the Masungi Geopark Project in rescuing abused forestland, protecting the watershed from “syndicates” and quarry operators, and transforming ancient limestones into a globally-acclaimed conservation model at no cost to the government.
“Verily, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ moves to discredit, undermine or altogether scrap the Masungi Geopark Project [go] against our national agenda and international commitments,” they added.
Signatories of the letter include Pasig City Mayor Vico Sotto, Rep. Ed Hagedorn (Palawan) and Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development chair Neric Acosta.
SPECIAL REPORT: Pools, ‘plunderers’ make Upper Marikina watershed conservation a hard and perilous task
‘Questionable’ features of deal
Under a 2017 agreement between the foundation and then-environment chief Gina Lopez, Masungi will plant and nurture trees to help heal a 2,700-hectare area in the Upper Marikina Watershed.
But the DENR is now claiming the agreement’s provision on perpetual land trust for conservation is unconstitutional.
“There is no doubt that there has been good work done by this group,” Environment Secretary Antonia Loyzaga said in a briefing Monday.
“However, there are certain features of this agreement that really bring it into question, and because of those features we will need to take appropriate actions,” she added.
The DENR will take charge of the reforestation project through its Project TRANSFORM (Transdisciplinary Approach for Resilient and Sustainable Communities) in the event of the cancellation of the agreement with Masungi.
“This will be a whole-of-government, whole-of-society effort and not just the effort of one single foundation or entity, because in fact we are part of this environment and not just one foundation,” Loyzaga.
Over the years, Masungi has locked horns with quarry operators, resort owners and other entities who illegally occupy forestlands within the Upper Marikina Watershed.
SPECIAL REPORT: Strong enforcement, halt to destruction needed to reverse decades of neglect of Upper Marikina watershed
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