The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) cancelled its 2002 Supplemental Joint Venture Agreement (SJVA) with Masungi developer Blue Star Construction & Development Corporation, putting the conservation efforts in the sanctuary at risk of losing protection in the area.

In a press conference held last March 7, DENR Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs Norlito Eneran officially announced the cancellation agreement between DENR and Blue Star in the preservation of the protected area.

Last March 17, DENR sent a notice to Blue Star, cancelling all preservation efforts made by the corporation and ordering them to vacate the 300-hectare protected area.

Masungi has until April 1 to vacate since receiving the 15-day non-extendible eviction notice.

For over two decades, the conservation and preservation efforts of the Masungi Georeserve have thrived through the Masungi Georeserve Foundation Inc. (MGFI), founded by civil engineer Ben Dumaliang in 2015.

Through active forest restoration and various advocacy initiatives, MGFI worked tirelessly to continuously rehabilitate and preserve the area through initiatives such as their flagship project, the Masungi Geopark Project, that restores degraded forests watershed areas and such.

It also protects the conservation of parts of Sierra Madre that provides Metro Manila with fresh water and protection from typhoons and flooding.

According to DENR, the 2002 supplemental agreement lacked the Presidential Proclamation designating the land for housing purposes, absence of a proper procurement process as the project did not undergo necessary bidding procedures, and the non-completion of 5,000 housing units within the five-year timeframe as indicated in the contract.

In an online interview with FEU Advocate, MGFI Advocacy Associate Alexandra Bacani stated that they have essential documents to show DENR’s shortcomings, noting that it was the environmental office that failed in its primary obligation of delivering the land free and clear of restraints from illegal settlers.

Even with Blue Star’s continuous efforts to follow up on the concerns, Masungi claimed that DENR evaded to address these concerns, resulting in significant delays and eventual cancellation of the agreement contract.

“Throughout the years, Blue Star never failed to ask the DENR to do its responsibilities under the agreement. However, DENR has evaded doing this for many, many years, resulting in significant delays,” Bacani stated.

Blue Star, together with MGFI, remains firm that their main and sole purpose in entering their now-cancelled agreement with DENR was and will always be in good faith.

Bacani also backed that the allegations claiming that there are no legal documents supporting Blue Star’s rehabilitation work over the area are false.

According to MGFI, DENR’s aggressive cancellation contradicts the reality in Masungi, where various land exploitation projects still need to be addressed.

“It selectively enforces policies, aggressively canceling a successful conservation initiative while allowing destructive projects like quarrying and commercial land conversions to continue. Instead of removing illegal occupants from Masungi, as required under the SJVA, it is targeting those restoring the land,” Bacani said.

MGFI hinted at the possibility of a new project with a multi-stakeholder approach to environmental conservation and the preservation of Masungi.

In light of the supplemental agreement’s cancellation, various grassroot communities and international organizations have expressed their support for MGFI amid the termination, recognizing its years of commitment to the conservation, restoration, and promotion of sustainable tourism in Masungi.

Bacani also mentioned that local initiatives led by youth leaders, indigenous patterns, and volunteers played a crucial role in protecting the georeserve.

Additionally, the legal counsel of MGFI and Blue Star are currently studying the legal avenues they can take to address DENR’s action in regards to the SJVA.

They pleaded with President Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. to intervene in DENR’s decision and a third-party review of the decision.

Multiple threats

Masungi also faces multiple threats from illegal quarrying which extends across 1,500 hectares of the 2,700-hectare reforested site.

In an interview with Mongabay in February 2023, MGFI co-founder and board trustee Billie Dumaliang, daughter of Masungi founder, mentioned that their continuous efforts in the conservation of the area is what keeps Masungi thriving up to this day.

“We, alongside a broad base of [more than 60] organizations that we initiated, have been pushing for the cancellation of these quarries. This has been difficult because even if they’re not operating yet, they’re certainly creating interferences on the ground that make reforestation work difficult for us to pursue,” Dumaliang expressed.

Aside from quarrying, Masungi is also at risk of illegal logging, land-grabbing, and violence amongst the people who protect the sanctuary.

“The 300-hectare area has long been a hotspot for land grabbing, with past DENR secretaries acknowledging these threats. Yet, instead of strengthening protection, the current administration’s actions favor those seeking to exploit the land,” Bacani exclaimed.

The advocacy group of MGFI calls to the public and environmental advocates to speak out and take action by writing statements of support for their organization, amplifying their efforts of conservation over the area.

With support from grassroot organizations and other environmental advocates, MGFI and Blue Star remain hopeful for a positive outcome that will favor the conservation and preservation of the protected area.

As the future of the georeserve hangs in the balance, FEU recognizes the role MGFI has played in the development and rehabilitation efforts made in the area, supporting its initiative of protecting its diversity.

The future of the 300-hectare land now lies on public support for MGFI and Blue Star’s over two decades of rehabilitation work, as well as the response of the government to overturn DENR’s abrupt cancellation of the supplemental agreement. 

- Art Santiago

(Photos courtesy of Masungi Georeserve Facebook page)