Destroying the Masungis around us

I write this piece from a place less than two hours away from Manila by plane, a popular tourist destination long exploited by irresponsible tourism and big resort owners.

I’m here for a gathering of women journalists but for safety reasons – some colleagues may be facing threats – we’re told not to reveal just yet where we are until our conference is over and we’re back home safe and sound.

From the balcony of my hotel room, the view is a massive, four- or five-story sprawling building under construction; perhaps another hotel or a condominium. It’s a manicured district, this mixed-use development. This looks more like an enclave in a posh district in Singapore or Makati, minus the crowd, instead of a province outside Luzon. One can hardly recognize the natural topography of the hilly landscape where these buildings, including the hotel where we’re billeted, now sit.

Why do governments, including local chief executives, allow resort developers to destroy our land and beaches? Westerners travel halfway around the world to visit the Philippines because they have none of what we have and yet, we try so hard to make our tourist attractions exude that foreign vibe, instead of keeping our culture and landscapes as local and natural as we possibly can.

If this continues, there will come a time when these pockets of paradise we have all over the country will be destroyed, replaced by beachside condominiums, condotels, hotels, exclusive country clubs, golf courses, malls and what-have-you. There will come a time when we can no longer recognize the places of our childhood or those summer destinations we used to enjoy because authorities have allowed so much development to alter our natural resources.

Development isn’t necessarily bad. It should be good. It’s supposed to create jobs and spur the local economy but development without limits is not only bad but dangerous. It destroys communities and harms the environment. It destroys our waters and our forests. It destroys marine life and ecosystems.

Canceling the Masungi contract

On Friday, the big news was the move of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to cancel its joint venture agreement with the private contractor and developer of the popular Masungi Georeserve, tucked in the rainforests of Rizal.

DENR ordered Blue Star and the Dumaliang family behind it to vacate the reservation area within 15 days. The agency said they are ready to manage the Geopark without the Dumaliangs.

To those who have been to Masungi, it’s very difficult to understand this decision.

After all, the Masungi Georeserve Foundation, led by Dumaliang sisters Ann and Billie, has been at the forefront of conservation.

Masungi is a testament to these efforts. The place is paradise on earth. There, one can breathe crisp air and smell the freshness of the rainforest. One can hear the sounds of nature and commune with lush trees and verdant plants and enjoy Mother Nature’s beauty.

So why is the DENR putting an end to these efforts? I am as baffled as other Masungi supporters.

Perhaps, amid the ongoing rigodon – or purging? – in the Marcos administration, marked by resignations of officials in key positions, including Cabinet secretaries, the different agencies are on their toes and rushing to show some big accomplishments.

I’ve heard many positive things about Environment Secretary Toni Yulo-Gonzaga. I have the impression she’s one of the better ones in the Marcos Cabinet.

Why then would she allow Masungi’s successful and ongoing conservation efforts to come to an end? Hopefully, the DENR can explain this more comprehensively.

Masungi’s efforts have been globally recognized. Billie Dumaliang, Masungi trustee and director for advocacy, is among last year’s Ten Outstanding Young Men.

Surely, these aren’t the people the DENR should be going after. Why not go after the real crooks or those involved in quarrying and relentless mining, etc?

“The DENR has chosen to go after those protecting our forests instead of those destroying them. While it continues to approve destructive quarries, private resorts and industrial projects that irreparably harm our watersheds, it is using taxpayers’ money to target Masungi Georeserve – a globally recognized conservation initiative – and its affiliated company Blue Star, which started the conservation and protection efforts in the area,” the Masungi Georeserve said in a statement.

For over two decades, Masungi and Blue Star have been on the frontlines, defending our forests against land grabbers, illegal quarries and powerful vested interests, it also said.

I agree with Masungi’s statement when it said that this is not just an assault on Masungi Georeserve but an attack on every Filipino striving to protect our natural heritage in the face of worsening floods, landslides and droughts that threaten our communities.

The DENR said Blue Star has violated their contract but could they not work out a solution so that conservation efforts can continue?

What happens next is anybody’s guess. It’s scary to think that this effort would weaken environmental protection and may pave the way for more commercial interests who may exploit our natural resources.

This may not only affect the Masungi Georeserve itself but the many Masungis or pockets of paradise found all over our country today.

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Email: eyesgonzales@gmail.com. Follow her on Twitter @eyesgonzales. Column archives at EyesWideOpen on FB.