THE Bureau of Corrections yesterday said it will defer plans to relocate its facilities and headquarters to the Masungi Georeserve in Tanay, Rizal after environmental groups warned that it will damage the biodiversity and natural resources of the Upper Marikina watershed.
BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang disclosed this as the Senate Committee on Tourism held an inquiry on the planned transfer of BuCor facilities at the georeserve.
“The 270 hectares of land awarded to BuCor pursuant to Presidential Proclamation No. 1158 as the site of the New Bilibid Prison will no longer push through, including the plan to relocate its national headquarters to this site, will be held in abeyance pending further studies to be undertaken taking into consideration the impact on the environment with the construction of BuCor facilities in the area,” Catapang said.
He said it would be better if an urban or environmental planner could conduct a study on the possible environmental impact of putting up the structures at the Masungi Georeserve.
He said if the transfer of the BuCor facilities “is not worth it,” they will not push through with the plan.
“What I will do now if this is really not available or not for us, we will just put the forest rangers, we also have our agro-forest team that can help conserve and strengthen the ecosystem in the area,” he added.
Catapang said the environmental study will take six months to one year.
Sen. Nancy Binay, panel chairman, said while the planned transfer of the BuCor in the area “is reasonable,” its possible consequences to the environment should be taken into account.
“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.
Binay earlier filed a resolution calling for an inquiry on the planned relocation of BuCor facilities at the Masungi Georeserve.
In the resolution, Binay disclosed the position of officials of the National Museum of the Philippines, who said that putting up facilities in Masungi will have expensive consequences for the environment.
She also cited a statement from Ann Dumailang, co-founder of Masungi Georeserve, that the area is home to fragile limestone formations which is included in conservation efforts under the Masungi Georeserve Foundation and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources through a valid and binding Memorandum of Agreement signed by the late former Secretary Gina Lopez in 2017.
Justice Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla earlier said the plan to put up the BuCor facilities in the area is not yet final.
Masungi is located at the foothills of the Sierra Madre and is part of the 26,000-hectare Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape. It is a conservation area known for its lush sceneries and sprawling karst landscape, which is also home to more than 400 species of flora and fauna.
The DENR recently cancelled quarrying permits within the Masungi Geopark Project.
