CLARK FREEPORT – The tribal chieftain of Aetas based in Bamban, Tarlac has expressed alarm over the impact to the environment of the reported wakeboarding project in the Next Frontier pushed by the Clark Development Corp. (CDC) and the Philippine Tourism Authority (PTA).
In an interview on Tuesday, tribal chieftain Oscar Dizon of Sitio San Martin said the wakeboarding facility set to be developed by the PTA at the Sacobia Valley, of late called the Next Frontier, could be detrimental to the reforestation project they contracted with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on May 9, 2008.
Dizon said they had also received information that the PTA headed by General Manager Mark Lapid would cut trees to allow the establishment of a sports tourism facilities which included a wakeboarding.
Dizon alleged that the PTA would encroached upon some four hectares of the reforestation area.
“Wala ako nang magsukat sila Mark (Lapid) at may nabalitaan kami na makukuha ang apat na ektarya namin (I was not there when Mark measured the area and we heard reports that they will get four hectares of our lot,” said Dizon.
Last September 11, CDC President and CEO Benigno Ricafort and Lapid signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the development of a wakeboarding facility on a 20-hectare area at the Sacobia Valley.
Ricafort disclosed that the PTA is set to invest a minimum of P50 million for the 25-year lease agreement, which is renewable for another 25 years.
Alarmed by the PTA-CDC project, Dizon wrote a letter to Ricafort on September 17 and asked the CDC to protect their trees and ongoing tree-planting project at the affected area.
“Kami po ang mga katutubong Aeta sa San Martin na sa kasalukuyan ay may proyektong pagtatanim ng puno sa kabundukan na nakapaloob sa kasunduan sa pagitan namin at ng DENR. Iba’t-ibang uri ng punong-kahoy ang aming itinanim sa proyektong ito (prutas at halamang gubat). Ang naunang proyekto ay humigit-kumulang sa 2,100 ektarya at nakatapos na kami sa humigit kumulang ng apat na raang ektarya sa pangalawa. At hindi pa po kami tapos sa pagtatanim na ito,” said Dizon in a letter.
“Kaakibat nito, ang mga itinanim ay ipinailalim po sa aming pangangasiwa at pangangalaga sa pamamagitan ng nasabing kasunduan. Ipinakikiusap po namin na huwag na sanang magalaw ang mga naitanim na punong-kahoy. Ang inyo pong pang-unawa ay lubhang mahalaga, inaasahan namin na maisuguro ang hindi pagputol sa mga punong-kahoy, kaalinsabay pa ng proteksyon sa mga ito,” he added.
Dizon also furnished Ricafort a copy of their contract with DENR.
In an interview on Tuesday, tribal chieftain Oscar Dizon of Sitio San Martin said the wakeboarding facility set to be developed by the PTA at the Sacobia Valley, of late called the Next Frontier, could be detrimental to the reforestation project they contracted with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) on May 9, 2008.
Dizon said they had also received information that the PTA headed by General Manager Mark Lapid would cut trees to allow the establishment of a sports tourism facilities which included a wakeboarding.
Dizon alleged that the PTA would encroached upon some four hectares of the reforestation area.
“Wala ako nang magsukat sila Mark (Lapid) at may nabalitaan kami na makukuha ang apat na ektarya namin (I was not there when Mark measured the area and we heard reports that they will get four hectares of our lot,” said Dizon.
Last September 11, CDC President and CEO Benigno Ricafort and Lapid signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the development of a wakeboarding facility on a 20-hectare area at the Sacobia Valley.
Ricafort disclosed that the PTA is set to invest a minimum of P50 million for the 25-year lease agreement, which is renewable for another 25 years.
Alarmed by the PTA-CDC project, Dizon wrote a letter to Ricafort on September 17 and asked the CDC to protect their trees and ongoing tree-planting project at the affected area.
“Kami po ang mga katutubong Aeta sa San Martin na sa kasalukuyan ay may proyektong pagtatanim ng puno sa kabundukan na nakapaloob sa kasunduan sa pagitan namin at ng DENR. Iba’t-ibang uri ng punong-kahoy ang aming itinanim sa proyektong ito (prutas at halamang gubat). Ang naunang proyekto ay humigit-kumulang sa 2,100 ektarya at nakatapos na kami sa humigit kumulang ng apat na raang ektarya sa pangalawa. At hindi pa po kami tapos sa pagtatanim na ito,” said Dizon in a letter.
“Kaakibat nito, ang mga itinanim ay ipinailalim po sa aming pangangasiwa at pangangalaga sa pamamagitan ng nasabing kasunduan. Ipinakikiusap po namin na huwag na sanang magalaw ang mga naitanim na punong-kahoy. Ang inyo pong pang-unawa ay lubhang mahalaga, inaasahan namin na maisuguro ang hindi pagputol sa mga punong-kahoy, kaalinsabay pa ng proteksyon sa mga ito,” he added.
Dizon also furnished Ricafort a copy of their contract with DENR.
