ADVERTISEMENT
Manila Bulletin devider Philippines devider Binay seeks Senate probe into BuCor's plans to build new HQ at Masungi Georeserve

Binay seeks Senate probe into BuCor's plans to build new HQ at Masungi Georeserve

Published Feb 24, 2023 07:13 pm

Senator Nancy Binay has sought a Senate probe into the initiatives of the Bureau of Corrections (Bucor) to have a new headquarters and housing for its personnel at the Masungi georesrve in Rizal province.

"It is important to weigh the possible consequences of building its headquarters in an ecotourism site like the Masungi Georeserve, which may affect the environment and tourism in the country," Binay said in her Senate Resolution No. 495. 

The resolution said that the ecotourism and conservation site Masungi Georeserve raised an alarm over an area inspection conducted by Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) personnel, for the alleged relocation site of the New Bilibid Prison within the geopark's vicinity.

News reports also quoted acting BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. as saying that the BuCor is the owner of 270 hectare land in Tanay, Rizal being contested by the Masungi Georeserve Foundation, and it would utilize the property for its headquarters, including residential sites for its personnel.

The Masungi Georeserve is a conservation area and a rustic rock garden tucked in the rainforests of Rizal. 

In 2019, the Masungi Georeserve has received an international recognition for its sustainable tourism practices at the annual World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Awards, Binay pointed out.

The acting BuCor chief added that a transfer certificate of title for the 270-hectare land in the villages of Kuyumbay, Layban, San Andres and Tinucan in Tanay town was issued in favor of the BuCor on Sept. 28, 2022 and that the parcel of land was originally registered under the Republic of the Philippines and covered by the Originai Certificate of Title 35567.

Catapang also said that Presidential Proclamation 1158 issued on Sept. 8, 2006, by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo allocated 270 hectares of the land as the new site of the New Bilibid Prison, as recommended by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

On the other hand, the Masungi Georeserve Foundation contends that the disputed 270 hectares of land called "Lot 10" has already been subject to a "joint venture project" as early as 2002 between the DENR and Blue Star Construction and Development, the company funding Masungi, and a memorandum was signed in 2009 by then Environmental Secretary Lito Atienza urging the DENR regional director to look for an alternative for the relocation of the New Bilibid Prison.

Binay, chairperson of the Senate Committee on Tourism, contends that the Masungi georeserve is a symbol of sustainable development and at the forefront of efforts to conserve, restore, and improve the environment in the face of climate change, which must be protected by the government and private sector at all cost.

Related Tags

ecotourism Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) Nancy Binay Masungi Georeserve
ADVERTISEMENT
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1561_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1562_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.most-popular .layout-ratio{ padding-bottom: 79.13%; } @media (min-width: 768px) and (max-width: 1024px) { .widget-title { font-size: 15px !important; } }

{{ articles_filter_1563_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}

{{ articles_filter_1564_widget.title }}

{{ item.title }}
.mb-article-details { position: relative; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview, .mb-article-details .article-body-summary{ font-size: 17px; line-height: 30px; font-family: "Libre Caslon Text", serif; color: #000; } .mb-article-details .article-body-preview iframe , .mb-article-details .article-body-summary iframe{ width: 100%; margin: auto; } .read-more-background { background: linear-gradient(180deg, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0) 13.75%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000 / 0.8) 30.79%, color(display-p3 1.000 1.000 1.000) 72.5%); position: absolute; height: 200px; width: 100%; bottom: 0; display: flex; justify-content: center; align-items: center; padding: 0; } .read-more-background a{ color: #000; } .read-more-btn { padding: 17px 45px; font-family: Inter; font-weight: 700; font-size: 18px; line-height: 16px; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle; border: 1px solid black; background-color: white; } .hidden { display: none; }
function initializeAllSwipers() { // Get all hidden inputs with cms_article_id document.querySelectorAll('[id^="cms_article_id_"]').forEach(function (input) { const cmsArticleId = input.value; const articleSelector = '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .body_images'; const swiperElement = document.querySelector(articleSelector); if (swiperElement && !swiperElement.classList.contains('swiper-initialized')) { new Swiper(articleSelector, { loop: true, pagination: false, navigation: { nextEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-next', prevEl: '#article-' + cmsArticleId + ' .swiper-button-prev', }, }); } }); } setTimeout(initializeAllSwipers, 3000); const intersectionObserver = new IntersectionObserver( (entries) => { entries.forEach((entry) => { if (entry.isIntersecting) { const newUrl = entry.target.getAttribute("data-url"); if (newUrl) { history.pushState(null, null, newUrl); let article = entry.target; // Extract metadata const author = article.querySelector('.author-section').textContent.replace('By', '').trim(); const section = article.querySelector('.section-info ').textContent.replace(' ', ' '); const title = article.querySelector('.article-title h1').textContent; // Parse URL for Chartbeat path format const parsedUrl = new URL(newUrl, window.location.origin); const cleanUrl = parsedUrl.host + parsedUrl.pathname; // Update Chartbeat configuration if (typeof window._sf_async_config !== 'undefined') { window._sf_async_config.path = cleanUrl; window._sf_async_config.sections = section; window._sf_async_config.authors = author; } // Track virtual page view with Chartbeat if (typeof pSUPERFLY !== 'undefined' && typeof pSUPERFLY.virtualPage === 'function') { try { pSUPERFLY.virtualPage({ path: cleanUrl, title: title, sections: section, authors: author }); } catch (error) { console.error('ping error', error); } } // Optional: Update document title if (title && title !== document.title) { document.title = title; } } } }); }, { threshold: 0.1 } ); function showArticleBody(button) { const article = button.closest("article"); const summary = article.querySelector(".article-body-summary"); const body = article.querySelector(".article-body-preview"); const readMoreSection = article.querySelector(".read-more-background"); // Hide summary and read-more section summary.style.display = "none"; readMoreSection.style.display = "none"; // Show the full article body body.classList.remove("hidden"); } document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", () => { let loadCount = 0; // Track how many times articles are loaded const offset = [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10]; // Offset values const currentUrl = window.location.pathname.substring(1); let isLoading = false; // Prevent multiple calls if (!currentUrl) { console.log("Current URL is invalid."); return; } const sentinel = document.getElementById("load-more-sentinel"); if (!sentinel) { console.log("Sentinel element not found."); return; } function isSentinelVisible() { const rect = sentinel.getBoundingClientRect(); return ( rect.top < window.innerHeight && rect.bottom >= 0 ); } function onScroll() { if (isLoading) return; if (isSentinelVisible()) { if (loadCount >= offset.length) { console.log("Maximum load attempts reached."); window.removeEventListener("scroll", onScroll); return; } isLoading = true; const currentOffset = offset[loadCount]; window.loadMoreItems().then(() => { let article = document.querySelector('#widget_1690 > div:nth-last-of-type(2) article'); intersectionObserver.observe(article) loadCount++; }).catch(error => { console.error("Error loading more items:", error); }).finally(() => { isLoading = false; }); } } window.addEventListener("scroll", onScroll); });
Join Our Newsletters

Sign up by email to receive news.

© 2025 Manila Bulletin The Nation's Leading Newspaper. All Rights Reserved.