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Thursday, June 28, 2007
Guv-elect, Lipa archbishop oppose Taal resort
MANILA -- Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto and Lipa Archbishop Ramon Arguelles have objected to a plan of foreign investors to put up resort spa in Taal Volcano.
"The (Catholic) Church in Lipa appeals to the government to respect Taal Volcano Island as a national sanctuary and unique treasure," Arguelles said.
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"It must be open to all when safe and never used for profit ventures, especially by foreigners," he added.
The construction of the P72-million Taal Island Spa Resort, which began in May, is a partnership between Korean firm Jung Ang Interventure Corp. and the local government of Talisay, which was approved by the Department of Tourism.
At the Senate, Senator Pilar Juliana "Pia" Cayetano said the brewing row over the planned construction of a spa resort on Taal Volcano Island comes down to one basic question - How come private individuals were able to obtain land titles to the volcano, which is supposedly part of the public domain?"
"There's no question that putting up a permanent structure like a resort spa within Taal's danger zone should not be allowed by the government because it will surely bring disaster to both nature and human beings," said Cayetano.
"But I believe the bigger issue here is how come private individuals were able to acquire land titles to the volcano, which should be public land? This has allowed commercial interests to encroach on Taal, which is classified as a protected area under our laws," she added.
Arguelles, for his part, said while the P72 million-project would help boost the local economy, allowing it however would cause ecological damage.
Like Arguelles, Santos-Recto is also against the project.
In an interview with reporters at the Supreme Court (SC) following her oath taking before Chief Justice Reynato Puno, Santos-Recto said the construction of the health spa at the mouth of Taal, an active volcano, will spell danger to the environment and even the lives of its clientele.
Santos-Recto further said being a national treasure and sanctuary, Taal volcano and its environs should be preserved for future generations.
The lady governor said she is open to dialogue with various sectors and even the management of the resort to ensure that an amicable settlement will be reached.
While ruling out an outright investigation of possible criminal liability of local officials for approving the project at this point, Santos said she would want operators of the resort to discuss their waste management system.
"I don't know if they are prepared (to) talk about environment issues. If a business would be set up there, are they prepared on waste management? I would call for a dialogue, for a consultation and maybe coordinate with involved sectors," she said.
Santos-Recto said the consultation should be participated in by government agencies such as the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), National Water Resources Board (NWRB), Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs), Housing and Land Use Regulatory Board (HLURB) and even the tourism department.
Earlier, opponents of the Taal resort project have called on the incoming governor to take up their cause and stop the construction of the resort.
Resting Dimayuga, president of the Samahan ng mga Mamamayan sa Lawa ng Taal, said the construction of the resort will violate the developer's environmental compliance certificate issued by the DENR as well as the Water Code because it has no water permit.
The environmental clearance certificate (ECC) requires the resort builder to secure construction, operational and/or resources use permits/clearances from the Protected Area Management Board and other involved agencies.
The absence of a water permit will only be acceptable if there will be no water extraction from the site.
Phivocs has warned against the project, saying the side where the resort is located is an active volcano and is considered a permanent danger zone and the Alert Level 1 issued for the place has not been lowered since 2005.
Also, the whole island and its surrounding waters are considered a protected area.
The DENR said the volcano is titled to at least four families: Laurel, Mayuga, Manigbas and de Jesus.
"Taal is part of our country's rich heritage and natural wonders as one of the world's smallest active volcanoes. It's disturbing enough to find out that the volcano actually belongs to just four families, not to the Filipino people. And now comes news that a portion of it is being leased, literally, to foreigners," Cayetano said.
Cayetano urged the DENR to hasten its review of the spa's ECC to settle the controversy once and for all.
"In our desire to promote tourism, we should always consider the environmental impact and no location should be given clearance unless there's an environmental impact assessment and a master development plan. Otherwise, before you know it, all these commercial establishments will sprout and bring more environmental hazards."
She added that the DENR's Land Management Bureau, along with the Land Registration Authority under the Department of Justice, must explain how these four families became "volcano owners." (ECV/MSN/CPB/Sunnex)
For more Philippine news, visit Sun.Star Iloilo. (June 28, 2007 issue)
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