EDITORS DESK
It feels like a victory in a series of battles for the control of Masungi Georeserve, when the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) postponed its plan to build a headquarters and transfer the New Bilibid Prison in that environment-protected area.
Gregorio Catapang Jr., acting director general of BuCor said in a Senate committee hearing that the plan “will no longer push through… taking into consideration the impact on the environment of the construction of BuCor facilities in the area.” This was a different situation from months ago, when BuCor insisted on its right as “registered owner of the property” and sent personnel to inspect the area, which alarmed the Masungi Georeserve Foundation.
When I talked to Billie Dumaliang, advocacy officer and trustee of the Masungi Georeserve Foundation, which she co-founded with sister Ann, she was aware of the challenges — political, social, economic — of protecting the Masungi Georeserve. Protecting that area, Billie said, is not only for them but more for us. She related to me that the conservation and geotourism project was awarded with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals Action Award in 2022, and the Global Water Changemakers Award in 2021, among others.
To stress the importance of Masungi Georeserve, more than four dozen organizations have signed a statement early this month urging the President and the DENR to stop BuCor’s plans in Masungi. Some of the organizations, collectively called the Upper Marikina Watershed Coalition, include the Philippine Native Plants Conservation Society, Philippine Biodiversity Conservation Foundation, Greenpeace Southeast Asia – Philippines, Wild Bird Club of the Philippines, Living Laudato Si’ – Philippines, Youth Strike 4 Climate Philippines, Philippine Center for Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, Sustainability PH, among others.
The statement said, “We fully support the Masungi Georeserve in its efforts to protect and preserve the conservation area from any form of development that may harm its natural resources and biodiversity. We strongly oppose the plans of the Bureau of Corrections to build its facilities in Masungi, as this would threaten the delicate balance of the ecosystem and compromise the integrity of the entire area.”
“We recognize the need for the BuCor to address the overcrowding in the New Bilibid Prison and provide adequate facilities for the rehabilitation and reformation of inmates. However, we express our concern over the plan to take over the Masungi Georeserve, which is an important karst landscape crucial to the conservation of the Upper Marikina Watershed.”
“While we understand the challenges faced by BuCor in finding suitable sites for their facilities, we firmly believe that this should not come at the expense of the environment — the flora and fauna that have come back and flourished after more than 25 years of rehabilitation by Masungi. A critical part of the Upper Marikina Watershed and other protected areas, Masungi Georeserve also plays a crucial role in regulating the water flow in the region and reducing the risk of flooding and landslides. These ecosystem services are essential in maintaining the ecological balance and sustaining the well-being of the surrounding communities.”
It was good that the plan of the BuCor was postponed, but is it indefinite? Or BuCor is just buying time? It remains to be seen. But for the meantime, I wish Billie and Ann all the enlightenment, strength of spirit, and wisdom, as they were entrusted with this environmental “treasure.”
To reiterate the statement, it concluded with this paragraph: “We stand in solidarity with Masungi and all other environmental defenders who work tirelessly for the conservation and protection of critical ecological areas, recognizing their value in addressing climate change and building sustainable communities.” As an environment writer, I stand in solidarity with Masungi.
(Johannes L. Chua is editor of the Environment & Sustainability section.)