By Ramon Efren Lazaro (The
Philippine Star) | Updated June 8, 2017 - 12:00am
MANILA, Philippines - The
National Power Corp. (Napocor) issued only land use permits for the dam and
dike rehabilitation project of the Angat Hydropower Corp. (AHC), an official
has clarified.
The permits allow AHC to use 42.19
hectares of land within the watershed to serve as temporary campsite of the
contractors and the facilities to be used for the project, Emmanuel Umali,
Napocor watershed management department manager, said in a statement issued on
Monday.
Umali was reacting to the call of
Bulacan Gov. Wilhelmino Sy Alvarado to AHC contractors and engineers to stop
the cutting of trees at the watershed.
Martin Francisco, chairman of the
environment watchdog Sagip Sierra Madre Environment Society Inc., said the
cutting of trees and quarrying operations proceeded without consent from the
National Commission on Indigenous Peoples.
Umali said the Department of
Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued the permit to cut trees after
an onsite inventory with Napocor.
“We shall ensure that for
every tree, AHC will provide 100 seedlings as replacement as indicated in DENR
Memorandum Circular 2012-0... The cut trees will be accounted for and brought
to the DENR,” Umali said.
The Angat Dam and dike-strengthening
project is part of a sale agreement with AHC. The project is in its second
phase and expected to be completed in February 2018.
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