MALAYBALAY CITY (MindaNews/06 June) – Agricultural companies like the Del Monte Philippines, Inc. has appealed that the Malaybalay city council lift its resolution imposing a moratorium on the expansion of agricultural plantations.
City councilor Anthony Canuto Barroso, chair of the committees on agriculture and environmental protection, told MindaNews via telephone Wednesday Del Monte has sought the lift when it appeared before the city council on May 29. Two other agricultural firms appeared on June 5.
Del Monte, Barroso said, cited that they have implemented mitigating measures to address the problems expressed by the Association of Barangay Councils (ABC) on agriculture and environment impact, the issue that triggered the moratorium.
Francis Rivera, Del Monte’s environmental and safety manager, told the city council on May 29 that his company is implementing mitigating measures to ensure environmental protection and preservation in accordance with the company’s environmental policy.
Rivera cited, as quoted by local news service Bukidnon News, that they have established longline block ditches, check dams, catchment basins, maintenance of easement creeks, steward program, carbon accounting system, baseline water analysis and other programs implemented by the Del Monte Foundation.
Barroso said they are likely to take time on the appeal. Three more agricultural firms were invited to shed light on the issue scheduled on June 19.
The city council passed the resolution on April 10 citing “environmental and agricultural concerns.”
Councilor Roland Deticio, who was among those who filed the resolution, said the city government must conduct further study before altering the moratorium.
He cited the move to create a technical working group to conduct the impact assessment of the plantations on the environment and agriculture condition of the city.
Barroso said there is also a plan to create a city-level multi-partite monitoring team (MMT) apart from the provincial MMT. The MMT is tasked to monitor implementation and compliance of the agricultural firms’ Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC).
Barroso said last April that the moratorium was in response to complaints from barangay councils against the fast conversion of farms into plantations and its effects on the environment and agricultural practices.
The resolution was unanimously approved after Councilor Medardo Estaniel, the ABC president, gave a privileged speech that echoed the questions raised by the ABC on the unregulated expansion of pineapple and banana plantations.
The city council noted the expansion of plantations in barangays Bangcud, Cabangahan, Casisang, Imbayao, Laguitas, Magsaysay, Mapayag and San Jose.[]
Barroso said the fruit companies would deal directly with the land owners without bothering to obtain the prior consent of the barangay councils and the City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO).
He said the resolution came after the committee hearings on the impact of the expansion on the environment and agriculture.[]
