Groups urge DENR chief to finalize cancellation of quarry permits in Upper Marikina watershed

Metro Manila (CNN Philippines, January 31) — Environmental groups urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to finalize the cancellation of quarry permits in the Upper Marikina Watershed after learning that the orders have yet to be signed.

In a statement Monday, the Upper Marikina Watershed Coalition said it requested copies of the orders revoking the mineral production sharing agreements (MPSAs) that were granted to quarry operators.

According to the coalition, the DENR's Mines and Geosciences Bureau said the cancellations, although already recommended, have yet to be signed by Environment Secretary Toni Yulo-Loyzaga.

An MPSA is an agreement in which the government offers the contractor the right to mine over a specific area in exchange for a portion of its profits.

"We, therefore, hold the Secretary to her word and encourage her to make good on her promise: fulfill the cancellation orders of these four MPSAs in the Upper Marikina Watershed and nearby protected areas, including portions of the Masungi Geopark Project," the coalition said.

In November last year, Loyzaga told the Senate during the DENR's budget hearing that the cancellation of two MPSAs were finalized while two more were awaiting a 90-day effectivity.

CNN Philippines is waiting for Loyzaga's comment on this matter.

The coalition likewise urged Loyzaga to hold a direct dialogue with the Masungi Georeserve Foundation, Inc. (MGFI), a member of the coalition, to settle "mutual concerns" on its joint reforestation project.

In 2017, the foundation and former DENR chief Gina Lopez reached an agreement to restore nearly 2,700 hectares of degraded forest land around the Masungi Georeserve and solve gaps in ending deforestation.

However, in November last year, the DENR said before the Senate that there were "legal complications" in the agreement and that MGFI's "lack of diligence" caused losses to the government.

The MGFI denounced the agency's statement, calling it "libelous, irresponsible, and baseless." 

"The urgency of safeguarding Masungi Georeserve and the Masungi Geopark Project cannot be understated," the coalition said. "Their internationally recognized work has stopped further severe, irreversible damage and threats to the people, land, and biodiversity of the protected area - all of which have been painstakingly recovered and protected through many sacrifices of its people in the past twenty years."

The House of Representatives will hold an inquiry into the alleged unauthorized and unlawful activities at the Masungi Georeserve on Wednesday, Feb. 1.

The groups also called on lawmakers to "look into the real illegal and destructive interests in the area, instead of finding justification to shut down a valuable and ecologically important conservation project for the benefit of a select few."