A GROUP of residents of Hinobaan town with some members of environmental groups held a protest against the proposed Southern Negros Industrial Estate (SNIE) at the north side of the Provincial Capitol in Bacolod City Wednesday, October 25.
The protestors, who belong to Save Hinobaan Movement, through spokesman Jimwell Canedo claimed the project will result to displacement and disenfranchisement from livelihood of at least 500 households with the move to convert agricultural lands as heavy industrial zone in Barangay Bacuyangan.
“The proposed economic zone in Hinobaan will reclassify the agriculture land to industrial that will host the multi-billion shipbreaking and recycling industry owned by Japanese firm Tsuneishi Heavy Industries,” Canedo said.
The proposed SNIE will cover 150 hectares of land which the protestors claimed to have already been covered by the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, he added.
The group demanded the Provincial Government to stop any move to eject families, release all records of the memorandum of agreement signed by Negros Occidental Governor Alfredo Marañon Jr. with the Japanese investors and other signed documents.
They also asked the Capitol to hold a genuine consultation with actual residents affected by the plan, reject application for land conversion, and implement genuine land reform.
The Provincial Board approved last July 26 the amended ordinance creating the Negros Occidental Provincial Industrial Estate Office composed of a department head, assistant department head and project engineers, among other personnel.