DAVAO CITY, May 10, 2009—Environmental groups here have found out that the issuance by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) to Hedcor Aboitiz was done in haste and preceded by President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo’s visit.

The EMB granted the ECC to Hedcor on the basis of the latter’s Initial Environmental Evaluation (IEE), a very shallow and cursory look at the project according the environment group Interface Development Interventions, Inc. (IDIS).

Hedcor failed to present a full-blown Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) System following Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) policies and guidelines before EMB-DENR issues and ECC.

The EMB, meanwhile, admitted that their decision to issue ECC was also preceded by the visit of Pres. Arroyo to the Hedcor-Sibulan hydroelectric power project.

Professor Maria-Teresa Diokno-Pascual of the University of the Philippines (UP) lamented on the situation saying, “It seems that deals are made on top regardless of concerns of millions of people for water. By granting the ECC, DENR seems to be in violation of its own procedure.”

Diokno –Pascual stressed that the issue here is not money and profit but of the need of the people for water and the protection of groundwater.

Davao City Water District (DCWD) reported that based on DENR River Classification, Tamugan River is Classification A, a recommended water source because of its superior quality and is a recharge zone with very high possibility of groundwater depletion.

Tom Villarin of the Siad in Mindanao Convergence for Asset Reform and Regional Development (SIMCARRD) also believes that the undue haste in the issuance of the ECC without mandatory public consultations is contrary to the basic rights of the people to be heard over projects that would endanger the public health and environment.

“We also believe that the ECC issued without a comprehensive EIA Systems is fraught with danger, “Villarin said in a press statement sent to CBCPNews, adding:

“The social, economic and environmental impact of hydroelectric power should be well studied and the people consulted. We should always be on the side of precaution when dealing with projects that impact on the environment especially on an environmentally critical area such as the Tamugan-Panigan watershed.”

Studies have shown that during the power crisis in the 90s, government over-estimated the power needs and thus created an artificial surplus of power that even though not generated by the independent power producers (IPPs), the taxpayers had to pay, Villarin explained.

NO TO HYDROPOWER SOURCE

IDIS Executive Director Lia Jasmin Esquillo also clarified that they are not against renewable energy projects but only against this particular Hedcor-Tamugan project which would develop a hydropower source on Davao’s source of drinking water.

The key issue confronting us here is water use. In such a hierarchy of use, reason and basic rights dictate that water is prioritized for drinking over energy use.

Hydroelectric power generation especially in environmentally critical areas (ECA) such as aquifer and watersheds should be abandoned as it essentially conflicts with our right to potable water and a healthy environment, Esquillo said.

While Aboitiz claims that its Tamugan and Sibulan hydropower projects are clean energy projects, Juland Suazo of the Foundation for Philippine Environment (FPE) said, the drivers of such demand for power are mining and agribusiness plantations engaged in destructive agriculture practices that destroy the environment and contribute further to climate change.”

Meanwhile, Diokno-Pascual and other non-government organizations also believe that the public has the right to know the real score about the projected power crisis.

Imelda Magsuci, DCWD spokesperson said that their service-oriented principle will definitely not marry Hedcor's intention for profit.

The DCWD earlier confirmed that the National Water Resources Board (NWRB) has already issued a permit for Hedcor to utilize the Tamugan-Panigan River even when DCWD is supposed to have prior right over the use of Tamugan River by virtue of water permit 15729 issued on May 27,1997. (Mark S. Ventura)