Inquirer | 16 June 2025Palm oil plantation in NegOcc urged to halt earth-moving ops
By Carla Gomez
BACOLOD CITY — Negros Occidental Governor Eugenio Jose Lacson has called for a temporary halt to all earth-moving activities at a palm oil plantation in Candoni town.
In a letter dated June 5 addressed to Alfred Joseph Araneta, chief executive officer of Hacienda Asia Plantations Inc. (HAPI), Lacson urged the suspension of any operations within the Integrated Forest Management Agreement (IFMA) area until the company complies with government requirements, including securing an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).
Lacson reminded Araneta that a Multi-Partite Monitoring Team conducted an inspection on March 20 and explicitly required HAPI to secure an ECC before continuing its plantation development activities.
“However, despite this clear directive, we have received reports from local community members and observed through videos circulating on social media that HAPI has continued to conduct earth-moving activities using heavy equipment such as bulldozers and backhoes within the Integrated Forest Management Agreement area,” Lacson said in an interview on June 12.
The governor also informed Araneta that he was requesting HAPI to temporarily cease all earth-moving activities within the IFMA area until the necessary ECC is secured and all environmental requirements are met.
He emphasized that the measure aims to prevent further environmental harm and ensure that HAPI’s operations comply with existing environmental laws and regulations.
“We expect your prompt attention to this matter and look forward to your cooperation in protecting the environment,” Lacson told Araneta.
The governor said the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office has also issued a cease and desist order to HAPI.
“If they have any respect for the provincial government, I hope they will comply until we can resolve this issue,” he added.
The Inquirer attempted to contact Araneta via phone calls and text message, but he has yet to respond as of June 15.
In a letter dated June 9, Lacson also urged Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) Region IV Director Ramar Niel Pascua to issue a cease and desist order against HAPI, citing the company’s failure to secure an ECC as required under the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System.
“Tho ECC is a critical document that ensures that projects likely to have significant environmental impacts undergo a thorough assessment and implement measures to mitigate adverse effects,” he said.
In a letter to Environment Secretary Raphael Perpetuo Lotilla, Lacson also called for a halt to HAPI’s operations pending its compliance with government requirements.
A civil society group closely monitoring developments at the 6,000-hectare palm oil plantation welcomed Lacson’s call for a temporary suspension of its activities.
“We welcome Governor Bong’s response to the ongoing social and environmental catastrophe in the southern part of our province. His request for the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) Secretary Popo Lotilla to intervene and take immediate action is a step in the right direction,” said Joshua Villalobos, Negrosanon Initiative for Climate and the Environment (NICE) secretary general.
“The action of the governor shows that positive change is possible when those in power listen to the voice of the people,” he added, citing the hundreds of signatures gathered in their petition.
During a dialogue facilitated at the DENR Negros Occidental office on June 11, HAPI reportedly committed to suspend all earth-moving activities pending further investigation and discussion.
“We acknowledge HAPI’s renewed commitment to halt their operations. However, we receive this with caution and vigilance,” Villalobos said.
“This is not the first time HAPI has made this promise. In a previous dialogue, the same commitment was made but not honored. We cannot afford another betrayal,” he added.
HAPI has received several Notices of Violation from the EMB for operating without an environmental clearance, and from the Provincial Environment Management Office for conducting quarrying activities without the necessary quarry and mining permits from the provincial government, Villalobos said.
As of June 11, HAPI has yet to settle the fines and penalties related to these violations, he added.
San Carlos Bishop Gerardo Alminaza, chair of the NICE Wisdom Council, also urged the DENR to act swiftly on the governor’s appeal and heed the people’s demands.
“We urge Secretary Lotilla and the DENR to come to Negros and listen to the voices on the ground – especially those who are most impacted by this plantation. Every day that HAPI’s operations continue, irreversible damage is being done to our forests, watersheds, wildlife, and communities,” he said./mcm
