City defends controversial Luzviminda pier project
The City government confirmed Tuesday the port reclamation project being undertaken by a private company in Barangay Luzviminda has no environmental permits but added it is supportive of the project. City Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) Atty. Carlo Gomez told Palawan News they will conduct a probe on the project after barangay officials and an NGO complained about it in a press conference Sunday. Atty. Gomez said the project was issued a cease and desist order last year for undertaking the construction without first securing a permit from the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA) as required by law. The Environmental Legal Assistance Center (ELAC) also claimed the project has no environmental compliance certificate (ECC) from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). Gomez added the issuances issued by the City to the project are “anchored on the fact that they have to comply the documentary requirements from the appropriate agency.” Gomez noted that the company undertaking the project, William Tan Enterprises Inc. (WTEI), has secured a certificate of noncoverage ( CNC) from the DENR but noted that it only applies to its cement warehouse and not to the reclamation and the construction of a pier. “The WTEI believes their CNC is extended to the pier, so we explained to them it should not be. It has to secure a separate ECC because its pier would cause environmental impact in the area,” he said. Palawan News has sought the side of WTEI but it has yet to issue a statement reacting to the allegations raised by ELAC and Barangay Luzviminda officials. “We will be sending personnel to get an update on the project,” Gomez, told Palawan News on Monday. Gomez added however that they have “assessed the area” and have determined it is suitable for such project. “It’s not heavily forested. We didn’t encounter any critical wildlife – flora and fauna – in the area. We didn’t see any significant presence of coral reef, and fishes are also minimal. Meaning, the area is not that significant for environmental interventions but it is very strategic in terms of development,” he said. Gomez also cited a Western Philippines University (WPU) study that backs their assessment that it’s “not that [environmentally] critical.” “To me, we can surrender a portion of this kind or category of an environment to pave way for development,” he added. But ELAC executive director, Atty. Grizelda Mayo-Anda, said the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD) guideline shows the shallow water habitat is considered “core zone,”
which means it is a highly protected area. Anda said the port cannot be established in the area as it has important mangroves and seagrass beds that are productive ecosystems as they are foundation plant species or ecosystem engineers. “Definitely, the reclamation will bring silt to the mangroves. Our question is why is the city government not doing anything to stop this project considering the fact that we have complaints? What bothers us now, is how come it’s now almost completed?” She added the reclamation has placed the diverse community of marine animals that depend on seagrasses for shelter and food in the barangay at risk. “ELAC’s call is to stop the project while the complaints against it are being studied. And if it has no required permits, the better thing to do is to demolish it. Our call is to urgently request the city to implement the law, and please, don’t wait for us to move legally for a writ of continuing mandamus for them to do what is right,” Anda said. However, Gomez said infrastructure development like this, if done well, could co-exist with the marine life. “It doesn’t follow per se that if there’s a structure there’s environmental destruction, and that’s for a retrogressive type of assumption, it’s not pro-development,” he said. Gomez said the project is supported by the city government as it will re-enliven nearby communities. “We have lots of communities in the area that need economic subsidy or activity for them to survive. And this social responsibility supposedly to be undertaken by the city government is being done by a private entity, and what we should do as a government entity? Of course, we have to support this because it would revitalize the community,” he said.