Saturday, January 10, 2009 [ manilatimes.net ]
By Anthony Bayarong, Correspondent
Department revokes 2006 agreement authorizing SBMA to issue Environmental Compliance Certificates SUBIC BAY Freeport: Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority is set to appeal the decision of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) that revoked the a Memorandum of Agreement signed in 2006 granting SBMA the right to issue Environmental Compliance Certificate to locators in Subic.
The move from Environmental departmentcame after controversy hit Subic regarding the allege cutting of trees to make way for a $120- million hotel casino.
Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority Administrator Armand Arreza in an interview said that “This is a welcome development, and we hope now that the DENR has stepped in, the issue would be closed.”
“It’s about time to clear the air,” Arezza said, adding the SBMA was still appealing the decision of Environmental department, even as he pledged full cooperation to ensure environmental compliance within the Freeport.
In a letter to SBMA chief Armand Arreza, DENR Secretary Lito Atienza said the Department has decided to revoke the memorandum of agreement (MOA) it signed with SBMA on January 17, 2006 because of the latter’s failure to comply with terms of the MOA.
Controversial trees
Subic has been under fire for the past months after environmentalist and urban planner architect Felino Palafox Jr. said that century old tree would be cut in order to give way for the $120- million hotel casino project.
Arreza claimed otherwise, saying that they have not issued any order to cut trees and clarified that their were no century old trees in the area because the area was reclaimed by the American in the mid 60s.
Recently, Kanlungan composed of professors from University of the Philippines-Los Baños (UPLB) was tapped by Grand Utopia to conduct an initial environmental examination report for the casino hotel project in Subic.
“In our report we only found 282 trees most of them fruit bearing trees, which are common,” said Professor Pastor Malabrigo.
“Nothing has been done to the site except for the fencing and soil boring tests and I assure the public that we are not poisoning the trees,” said Arreza, adding, “All the trees are intact.”
The issue started in October 2008 but according to Arreza not a single tree was touched.
Environmental Compliance Certificate
Arreza explained that Subic locators seek an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) from SBMA and after review and granting, Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority submits it to DENR for final review and evaluation.
“We did not see any major issue with the locators with regards to the ECC issuance, in fact it would now be easier for them,” Arreza noted.
Arreza said that the hotel casino has yet to get an Environmental Compliance Certificate and since it was still under review by SBMA and with the DENR stepping into the picture the SBMA will be turning over all the documents to the environmental department.
