The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) cancelled its 2002 agreement with Blue Star Construction Development Corporation, one of Masungi Georeserve’s developers.
In a statement on Friday, the Masungi Georeserve Foundation said the government has “chosen to go after those protecting our forests instead of those destroying them.”
It continued, “While it continues to approve destructive quarries, private resorts, and industrial projects that irreparably harm our watersheds, it is using taxpayer 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.”
Masungi and Blue Star have been on the frontlines for over two decades, defending the land against land grabbers, illegal quarries, and powerful vested interests. The Masungi Georeserve said this was an attack on every Filipino striving to protect the country’s natural heritage. Moreover, these actions threaten communities in the face of worsening floods, landslides, and droughts.
Due to the recent agreement, Blue Star is expected to leave the property 15 days after the receipt of the cancellation letter, which was sent Friday. However, the ecotourism site foundation clarified that they have yet to receive the notice.
“We are confident of the legal remedies available to us to stay the order, continue our work, and save Masungi,” its statement read.
The Venture Agreement
In 1996, the DENR and Blue Star forged a joint venture agreement (JVA) to create a sustainable housing project for government employees and address the ongoing rampant land speculation in the area.
The Masungi Georserve Foundation said the project was competitively bidded out by the DENR and won by Blue Star.
The latter got a supplemental agreement, with 300 hectares to the project. The Foundation said the “expansion is based on the provisions of law, which allows a government project to be expanded or extended without additional bidding under certain conditions.”
“Let us be clear–it is the DENR who is at fault here. It has stubbornly refused to carry out its contractual obligation to clear the area of large-scale illegal occupants, liens, and encumbrances, causing delays to the project and significant injury to its private sector partner,” the Masungi Georeserve Foundation wrote.
The Foundation pointed out that the case is part of a larger, more insidious effort to “weaken environmental protection, silence advocates, and clear the path for selfish commercial interests to exploit natural resources.”
“We will fight not just in defense of Masungi but in defense of environmental justice for all,” they said.
“We call on the Filipino people to see through this deception and stand with us in protecting the last remaining forests of our generation. The future of our watersheds–and of generations to come–depends on it,” they ended.
The ecotourism foundation said a full response may be released later on as they receive more details on the matter.
