The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has issued show-cause orders to over 200 owners of structures built inside the government-designated "protected areas" along the Marikina-Rizal-Laguna-Quezon (Marilaque) Highway.
In a press statement released on Monday, Dec. 5, the agency said the Department of Public Works and Highways constructed the structures in the designated road right-of-way along Marilaque Highway, which runs through the Kaliwa River Forest Reserve, the Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape, and areas covered by Presidential Proclamation 1636 in parts of Laguna and Quezon.
Nilo B. Tamoria, DENR-Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon) regional executive director, said such “areas are protected by Republic Act (RA) 7586 or the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS) Act, as well as RA 11038 or the Expanded or E-NIPAS Act of 2018.”
“Malaki po ang implikasyon ng mga istrukturang ito sa biodiversity...hindi na po kaila ang epekto ng climate change, kaya po sinimulan po namin sa araw na ito at itutuloy tuloy ang pagse-serve ng show cause order (These structures have big implications on the biodiversity...the impact of climate change cannot be denied, that's why we started today and will continue to serve the show cause order),” he stressed.
“Eventually, ang layunin natin sa protected areas ay mapanatili ang paglago ng ating kagubatan at ng biodiversity...Ang atin pong ginagawa ay bahagi lamang po ng implementasyon ng ating batas, kung may legal na karapatan pong manatili, ay irerespeto po natin iyon. Kaya nanawagan po kami sa ating mga kababayan na sumunod lamang po sa batas nang sa gayon ay wala po tayo maging problema (Eventually, our goal in protected areas is to maintain the growth of our forest and biodiversity...What we are doing is just part of the implementation of our law, if there is a legal right to stay, we will respect that. That's why we call on our kababayans to just follow the law so that we don't have any problems),” Tamoria added.
Permission from the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) and the DENR should be obtained prior to the occupation or installation of any structure inside protected areas, according to Sections (n) and (o) of RA (Republic Act) 7586, as amended.
Tamoria explained that a show cause order serves as a way to determine whether an occupant has legal rights to occupy an area.
On October 27, the DENR-Calabarzon, along with regional offices of other national government agencies and local government units (LGUs), met in preparation for the simultaneous issuance of show cause orders to structures within protected areas and timberland in Region 4A.
Before the show-cause orders were issued, the agency said concerned community and provincial environment and natural resources officers convened a meeting with local government units, barangays, and counterparts from partner agencies to disseminate and clarify the details of the activity.
The DENR said it will evaluate the written explanations and supporting documentation provided by the owners of the structures served with show-cause orders.