Foundation: We have been on frontlines of conservation

MANILA, Philippines — By canceling its contract with Blue Star Construction Development Corp., the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) “has chosen to go after those protecting our forests instead of those destroying them,” a foundation advocating the protection of the Masungi forest reserve said yesterday.

In a statement, the Masungi Georeserve Foundation Inc. criticized the DENR for rescinding its contract with Blue Star, saying the firm has been a partner on the frontlines for over two decades in defending the country’s forests.

“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,” the foundation said.

It vowed to contest the DENR decision before the courts.

“We have not received the said notice. Rest assured, we have anticipated this action by the DENR Secretary Ma. Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga. We are confident of the legal remedies available to us to stay the order, continue our work and save Masungi,” it added.

It emphasized that it was the DENR which failed to fulfill its obligations under the joint venture agreement.

“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 group pointed out.

“A joint venture agreement is not a simple contractual arrangement in which an agency hires a company to construct a project in exchange for payment. Instead, it is a collaborative partnership where both parties, the financier and developer (Blue Star) and the landowner (DENR), share responsibilities, obligations and equity in the project. As outlined in the contract, disputes should be resolved through good-faith dialogue between both parties,” the Masungi foundation added.

“We welcome the opportunity to defend this agreement while also shedding light on the DENR’s decades-long negligence in managing these contracts.”