Masungi caretaker asks Marcos to review DENR eviction order
The Masungi Georeserve Foundation Inc. (MGFI) on Wednesday asked President Marcos to “intervene” in their eviction from the Masungi limestone formations in Baras, Rizal.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) evicted MGFI and its housing contractor, Blue Star Construction Development Corp. (Blue Star), two weeks ago due to legal issues.
But the foundation led by proponent Ben Dumaliang disputed the eviction and cancellation of agreement because of the threat to its conservation efforts and the livelihoods of rangers. Blue Star is also led by Dumaliang and his wife.
“We plead with President Marcos Jr. to intervene. The very laws that protect Masungi’s lands were put in place during his father’s administration, recognizing the importance of conservation for the nation’s future,” MGFI said in a statement.
The foundation and Blue Star officially received the 15-day notice from the DENR ordering their eviction from Lot 10, where the georeserve stands.
Earlier this month, the DENR said it had nullified its 2002 supplemental agreement to the 1997 joint venture agreement it signed with the interlocking corporations, citing alleged “legal infirmities.”
Legal defects
The “defects” included the lack of a “regular procurement or bidding process,” the absence of a “compulsory” presidential proclamation declaring the area “open for disposition” and Blue Star’s supposed failure to deliver the housing units it contracted with the government.
The DENR, through a March 7 letter to Blue Star, also cited a “web of violations,” such as the imposition of fees “not provided in the Masungi Rock Eco-Tourism Plan,” the fencing off of a portion of Lot 10 and the “very restrictive access” given to DENR representatives.
But the MGFI argued that “this abrupt decision threatens not only years of dedicated forest restoration, wildlife protection and sustainable geotourism but also the livelihoods of up to 100 hardworking rangers and their families who have committed their lives to protecting Masungi.”
The georeserve, home to more than 400 species of flora and fauna, covers an area of 3,000 hectares under three agreements: the 1997 joint venture agreement, 2002 supplemental agreement and 2008 agreement with the government involving two housing projects.
The foundation also called on the government to “pause” the eviction order in order “to allow for a fair and thorough review.”
It likewise asked officials to “engage in open dialogue with all stakeholders to find a just and sustainable path forward.”
“Any precipitous action to enforce the [eviction order], and even just the threat of it, can only embolden entities who have boldly asserted illegal claims in Lot 10 that Blue Star has assiduously resisted through the years to ensure the land is not lost,” MGFI said.
Crucial role
Since it began conservation and “rewilding” work, the Dumaliang corporations have fended off commercial interests, including a wind power project, in parts of the georeserve where work had already been completed.
“The order undermines the efforts of those on the front lines of forest protection, making it harder to defend against illegal activities that threaten our forests and watersheds,” MGFI said.
It pointed out that the georeserve plays a crucial role in protecting the southern portion of the Sierra Madre mountain range, which serves as a “natural shield” against typhoons and other extreme weather events, helping reduce the impact of floods and landslides.
