National gov’t urged to put Masungi under its care

FILE: art of the discovery trail of Masungi Georeserve (Photo By Jtepace – Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0)

MANILA – Senators urged the national government to recover the Masungi Rock Formation in Tanay town, Rizal province that is currently included in the 300-hectare property owned by the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor).

Senator Nancy Binay said on Tuesday that in order for the rock formation to be protected and preserved, it should stay under the ownership of the national government.

“’Yung mga ganitong (These kinds of) assets should stay with the Republic of the Philippines, ‘di ba? Hindi dapat nililipat to(right? It should not be transferred to) any government agency,” said Binay, who presided over a public hearing of the Committee on Tourism.

Lawyer Norlito Eneran, Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) legal affairs director, said regaining the rock formation only needs a presidential proclamation.

“Considering that it is titled in favor of the government, sa tingin ko hindi na kailangan ng legislation (I think legislation is not needed). It’s through the act of the President. Pwede niyang i-set (He can set) aside for a specific purpose,” Eneran said.

BuCor is still exploring its options and no final decision has been reached on whether it would relocate its headquarters in Muntinlupa City to the Tanay property.

“The plan to relocate its national headquarters to this site will be held in abeyance pending further studies to be undertaken, taking into consideration the impact on the environment with the construction of BuCor facilities in the area,” Gregorio Catapang Jr., BuCor acting director general, told the committee.

It drew praises from Senate Deputy Minority Leader Risa Hontiveros.

“Mabuhay po para sa desisyon ninyo. At least, to hold in abeyance muna habang pinag-aaralan ninyo (I commend your decision. At least, it is being held in abeyance while you are studying it),” Hontiveros said.

Hontiveros is the author of Senate Resolution No. (SRN) 231 which prompted Binay’s committee to discuss the various reported illegal activities affecting the Masungi Georeserve as a whole.

Previously, Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla said he has met with DENR Secretary Antonia Loyzaga about the Masungi Georeserve and agreed on a singular position.

“We will speak in one voice on this matter. There should be no problem. Pro-environment tayo, hindi natin kalaban ang environmentalists. May mga tao lang syempre na alarmist tungkol dito (We are pro-environment. Environmentalists are not our enemy. There may be people who are just being alarmists about this),” Remulla said.

Senators Pia Cayetano and Binay likewise filed SRN 495 and 500, respectively, questioning the construction of BuCor’s headquarters in the ecotourism site.

“Masungi plays a crucial role in our conservation efforts. Being at the forefront of our efforts to conserve, restore, and improve the environment, Masungi provides us with a template of how we can tackle the very urgent issue of climate change,” Binay said.

Binay and other senators are set to visit the Masungi Georeserve for an ocular inspection on March 27.

In September last year, the Masungi Georeserve bagged the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Action Award over more than 2,000 other entries from over 150 countries.

Under the Inspire category, Masungi Georeserve Foundation won for its youth-led efforts in combating deforestation and climate change through the restoration and protection of the Masungi landscape and parts of the Upper Marikina Watershed.