MANILA, Philippines — Environmentalists and concerned citizens called on President Rodrigo Duterte and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to protect the Upper Marikina Watershed and the Masungi landscape, which play a vital role in providing resilience against disasters.
In a joint letter to Duterte and acting environment chief Jim Sampulna, over 30 environment and education leaders asked them to immediately cancel quarrying agreements within the 26,126-hectare Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape in Rizal province.
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They noted that no formal cancellation of Mineral Production Sharing Agreements has been issued by the DENR despite the pronouncements of former environment secretary Roy Cimatu, who resigned in February due to health reasons.
According to Section 18 of Republic Act 11038 or the Extended National Integrated Protected Areas System Act of 2018, undertaking mineral exploration or extraction are prohibited within the protected area.
“The imperative to put environmental conservation first and to work with different sectors to protect and restore the Upper Marikina Watershed and the Masungi landscape is clear. Quarrying must be stopped. Conservation must proceed,” the letter read.
“The ecosystem restoration efforts of Masungi and other non-government organizations must be fully supported and expanded. They have a critical role in augmenting management gaps and providing vital oversight in forest and biodiversity protection,” it added.
Signatories of the letter include environmental lawyer Tony Oposa, former Puerto Princesa Mayor Edward Hagedorn, and De La Salle Brothers provincial superior Bro. Armin Luistro.
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Conservation work
Masungi Georeserve Foundation is restoring 2,700 hectares of severely degraded watershed areas around the Masungi limestones.
Under an agreement signed with the DENR in 2017, Masungi will plant and maintain trees to help heal the abused watershed, while the DENR will be in charge of ejecting illegal occupants from the project site and canceling tenurial instruments with violations.
Studies estimate that Upper Marikina Watershed had 19.4% of forest cover left in 2006 and only 11% of forest cover left in 2021. The integrity of the watershed has been degraded by decades of illegal logging, quarrying and mining activities, and construction of establishments such as resorts
“The dire situation could significantly worsen the extent of flooding in low-lying reaches of the Upper Marikina Watershed, including the cities and communities of Metro Manila and Rizal Province,” the environmental advocates said.
They also decried the reported moves to approve construction of resorts that disrupt and divert waterways inside the critical watershed, and threats to remove the award-winning reforestation work of the foundation.
Environment undersecretary Jonas Leones earlier said the agency was reviewing its memorandum of agreement with Masungi Georeserve Foundation to determine what needs to be strengthened and changed.
In mid-February Masungi’s forest rangers were mauled by people suspected to be working for resorts inside the watershed.