DENR, Subic sign MOU
By Ronnie E. Calumpita, Reporter
THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority on Wednesday resolved their dispute over the issuance of environmental compliance certificate to establishments within the SBMA.
Environment Secretary Michael Defensor and SBMA president and chief executive officer Alfredo Antonio on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding to hasten the issuance of ECCs to some 300 establishments at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
Defensor said the environment department will give SBMA the authority to regulate its locators or the establishments operating in its premises.
“We will empower SBMA like the LLDA [Laguna Lake Development Authority], which has the power to issue ECCs [to fish-pen operators in Laguna de Bay],” he said.
The memorandum signaled the start of the provision of authority given to SBMA which Defensor said will not only strengthen the SBMA’s mandate to protect the environment within its jurisdiction but also in making “sure that Subic prospers as an economic hub.”
Under the memorandum, Lolibeth Medrano, DENR-Environmental Management Bureau director, said they will revalidate ECCs issued by SBMA to its 300 locators to speed up the issuance of ECCs coming from the department.
“As soon as the SBMA submits its list [of locators], we will start revalidation. The SBMA and the DENR will do the technical review [of the ECC’s the SBMA issued],” she explained. The department assured the locators will get their ECCs within three days.
The conflict over the issuance of ECCs to the establishments within the 6,332-hectare Subic Watershed and Forest Reserve stemmed when the Ocean Adventure Marine Park of the Subic Bay Marine Explora-torium Inc. declined to seek ECC from the DENR because it has secured an environmental permit from the SBMA.
When the department issued a cease-and-desist order against the Ocean Adventure in 2001, the case was brought to the Court of Appeals that recently ruled with finality that the DENR has the sole authority to issue ECCs, including in the SBMA area, even if the SBMA charter gives it the power to do so.
After the decision, the DENR, through the EMB in Central Luzon, again issued a cease-and-desist order to the Ocean Adventure, which presents “Swim with the Whale” show. The order was lifted because of the memorandum.
THE Department of Environment and Natural Resources and the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority on Wednesday resolved their dispute over the issuance of environmental compliance certificate to establishments within the SBMA.
Environment Secretary Michael Defensor and SBMA president and chief executive officer Alfredo Antonio on Wednesday signed a memorandum of understanding to hasten the issuance of ECCs to some 300 establishments at the Subic Bay Freeport Zone.
Defensor said the environment department will give SBMA the authority to regulate its locators or the establishments operating in its premises.
“We will empower SBMA like the LLDA [Laguna Lake Development Authority], which has the power to issue ECCs [to fish-pen operators in Laguna de Bay],” he said.
The memorandum signaled the start of the provision of authority given to SBMA which Defensor said will not only strengthen the SBMA’s mandate to protect the environment within its jurisdiction but also in making “sure that Subic prospers as an economic hub.”
Under the memorandum, Lolibeth Medrano, DENR-Environmental Management Bureau director, said they will revalidate ECCs issued by SBMA to its 300 locators to speed up the issuance of ECCs coming from the department.
“As soon as the SBMA submits its list [of locators], we will start revalidation. The SBMA and the DENR will do the technical review [of the ECC’s the SBMA issued],” she explained. The department assured the locators will get their ECCs within three days.
The conflict over the issuance of ECCs to the establishments within the 6,332-hectare Subic Watershed and Forest Reserve stemmed when the Ocean Adventure Marine Park of the Subic Bay Marine Explora-torium Inc. declined to seek ECC from the DENR because it has secured an environmental permit from the SBMA.
When the department issued a cease-and-desist order against the Ocean Adventure in 2001, the case was brought to the Court of Appeals that recently ruled with finality that the DENR has the sole authority to issue ECCs, including in the SBMA area, even if the SBMA charter gives it the power to do so.
After the decision, the DENR, through the EMB in Central Luzon, again issued a cease-and-desist order to the Ocean Adventure, which presents “Swim with the Whale” show. The order was lifted because of the memorandum.
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