THE DEPARTMENT of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) XI revealed that only two of the 22 inland resorts have been granted environmental compliance certificates (ECCs) in Davao Region since last year.
During the Kapihan sa Bagong Pilipinas on July 16, Myhrra Fair Barquilla, DENR-Environmental Management Bureau supervising chief, said applicants failed to comply with the ECC due to their zoning issue.
“Kasi dapat nasa proper zones sila. Most of these resorts nagsusulputan din noong panahon ng pandemic. They (resorts) are not within the tourism zone so they cannot be given the required document or the planning from the city zoning office,” Barquilla said.
The ECC refers to the document allowing a proposed project to proceed to the next stage of project planning, which is the acquisition of approvals from other government agencies and LGUs, after which the project can start implementation.
Barquilla noted that inland resorts that failed to comply with the documents would be called to a technical conference to simplify the issues and the stipulation of facts.
She stressed that the local government unit (LGU) in the area is tasked to impose closure or stoppage of the said business, as the declaration of the no-build zone is also within the mandate of the LGU.
“EMB is still conducting more surveys sa mga hindi pa na-surveyed so that we could have the inventory if ilang mga inland resorts ang nasa area. Rest assured, some of these resorts were issued notices of violation for developing without securing first the ECC,” she said.
DENR regional director Atty. Ma. Mercedes Dumagan said they constantly coordinate with the LGUs for the monitoring.
“They’ve been helping us so that they may come up with ordinances and they will not issue building permits if there is no clearance from the Protected Area Management Board unless they have the special agreement for protected areas,” Dumagan said.
Davao Region has seven legislated protected areas, three of which are endowed with international accolades, namely, the Mt. Apo Natural Park in Davao del Sur and the Mt. Hamiguitan Range Wildlife Sanctuary and Pujada Bay Protected Landscape and Seascape in Davao Oriental.
photo by Bing Gonzales
