THE motion for reconsideration filed by Blue Star Construction and Development Corporation and Masungi Georeserve Foundation Inc., which seeks to reverse the cancellation of its 2002 Supplemental Agreement with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is now under final review and evaluation.
Environment Assistant Secretary for Legal Affairs and Enforcement Norlito Eneran said Environment Secretary Raphael Lotilla has received the case file of Blue Star, which includes Loyzaga’s order to cancel the contract, citing numerous violations of the contract itself.
‘Blue Star filed a motion for reconsideration on the cancellation of the 2002 supplemental agreement. It is now under final review and evaluation by the Office of the Secretary along with the other contracts,’ Eneran told the BusinessMirror, explaining why the DENR has not yet made a move to shut down or stop the operation of Masungi Georeserve, an award-winning low-impact ecopark run and managed by Masungi.
The Supplemental Agreement pertains to a contract involving the construction of 5,000 housing units on Lot 10, where the Masungi Georeserve Foundation Inc. built its award-winning Masungi Geopark, a low-impact ecopark in Baras, Rizal. Masungi Georeserve is located within the larger Upper Marikina River Basin Protected Landscape (UMRBPL). It also overlaps with parts of the historic Marikina watershed reservation, created in 1904, and the Kaliwa River Forest Reserve.
At least five other agreements between Blue Star and DENR are under review by the DENR chief, who assumed the top DENR post in May this year, replacing former Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga.
Early this week, the DENR, led by the DENR Region 4A office, padlocked three resorts within the UMRBPL for violation of environmental laws, including failure to secure the necessary permits, including the environmental compliance certificate (ECC).
Masungi has been criticized by the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB) of the UMRBPL for failing to secure necessary environmental permits, including permits for the construction of its tourism facilities.