By Paul Atienza
The Daily Tribune
The Daily Tribune
Malacañang issued a decree transferring jurisdiction of a vast reserve in Palawan from state firm Philippine Forest Corp. (Philforest) to a mere bureau under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in an effort to favor certain powerful interests, according to Malacañang sources.
Presidential Communication Operations Office Secretary Herminio Coloma said that the Aquino administration had transferred the administration of Busuanga Pasture Reserve to the Forest Management Bureau of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) from PhilForest which has been recommended abolished after being one of the state firms linked to the P10-billion pork barrel scam. Aquino and his men had started to focus their attention on the island of Coron where the former barrio of Busuanga, now an adjunct fifth class municipality, which was declared by former President Ferdinand Marcos as the Busuanga Pasture Reserve, has potentials of being exploited as livestock pastures.
Coloma said the Aquino order abolished Presidential Proclamation 2057 of former President Gloria Macapagal -Arroyo which authorized Philforest to administer the development of the areas covered by the Busuang Pasture Reserve.
“Our President has acted upon to protect the Busuanga Pasture Reserve in the province of Palawan by virtue of Proclamation 663 that was signed Oct. 14. This abolishes the previous Presidential Proclamation no. 2057 issued by former President Gloria Arroyo,” Coloma said.
The Arroyo order in turn replaced a Marcos decree that designated the parcel of public domain situated in the island of Busuanga, Palawan from “sale, settlement or any other form of disposition, exploration or exploitation,” except through lease, and identified the area as a “pasture reserve”.
The Bukidnon Forest Corp. also belonging to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) was then renamed Philforest to implement, among others, support activities all over the country mainly agribusiness-related development program, including agroforestry and the development of marginal lands.
In developing the area, the PFC as administrator of the property was tasked to prioritize the business and economic activities such as pasture, grazing dairy and related activities; agro-forestry, industrial tree plantation and high value crop production; tourism-related developments (i.e., eco-tourism, retirement havens and related activities); infrastructure in support of (i.e. hotel, housing and accommodation facilities; ports, airports and other transport and communication components; warehouses and other processing facilities).
In developing the area, the PFC as administrator of the property was tasked to prioritize the business and economic activities such as pasture, grazing dairy and related activities; agro-forestry, industrial tree plantation and high value crop production; tourism-related developments (i.e., eco-tourism, retirement havens and related activities); infrastructure in support of (i.e. hotel, housing and accommodation facilities; ports, airports and other transport and communication components; warehouses and other processing facilities).
The Arroyo proclamation also declared the Presidential Commission on Good Government (PCGG), the Department of Agriculture (DA), the Bureau of Animal Industry (BAI), and other government agencies that may be carrying out activities in the area “to cease, desist and refrain from introducing further activities therein” to “transfer, endorse or turn-over assets, rights and other interests over the property to the PFC”.
Last month, Presidential deputy spokesman Abigail Valte said the government had declared void a proposed agreement for the development of the area presumably by a brother in law of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa through a lease contract for a 2-million hectare land in Busuanga, Palawan with San Jose Builders one year after President Aquino assumed office in 2010.
Last month, Presidential deputy spokesman Abigail Valte said the government had declared void a proposed agreement for the development of the area presumably by a brother in law of Executive Secretary Paquito Ochoa through a lease contract for a 2-million hectare land in Busuanga, Palawan with San Jose Builders one year after President Aquino assumed office in 2010.
The contract was voided only after allegations cropped up that the company owned by contractor Jerry Acuzar, Ochoa’s brother-in law was favored in the deal.
It was former PFC president and whistleblower Jun Lozada who revealed a contract to develop a large tract of idle land in the municipality of Busuanga between PhilForest and San Jose Builders which he called a “midnight deal” of the outgoing Arroyo administration, which Mr. Aquino allowed to proceed despite its onerous terms.
Valte provided the members of the Malacañang Press Corps with copies of a letter signed by current PhilForest President Erwin Krishna Santos on Dec. 9, 2011, that had officially informed San Jose Builders of the termination of the lease contract.
It cited the construction company’s failure to submit a project-development plan despite several letters sent to its official address.
Santos said the Economic Productivity Out of Idle Lands (EPIL) Agreement between PhilForest and San Jose Builders Inc. pertained to the lease of a parcel of forest land in Busuanga, Palawan, covering 1,999,900 hectares.
“Please be informed that to date, this office has not received any Project Development Plan from your office despite several letters sent to your official address,” Santos informed company President Felicisimo Isidoro.
He said periodic inspections conducted by PhilForest revealed that “no activities and improvements are found in your leased area from Nov. 17, 2009, to the present constituting abandonment of the project.”
He said periodic inspections conducted by PhilForest revealed that “no activities and improvements are found in your leased area from Nov. 17, 2009, to the present constituting abandonment of the project.”
Santos pointed to a provision in the lease that PhilForest shall “terminate the agreement in case of abandonment or failure to exercise privilege granted within the prescribed period of six months from the effectivity of the agreement without justifiable cause.”
The PhilForest official formally notified Isidoro that the EPIL Agreement is “now considered effectively terminated 60 days after receipt of this notice.”
In a briefing in Malacañang, Valte explained to mediamen that when President Aquino assumed office, he already saw the contract.
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