Hanjin condo projects began without ECC
The South Korean builders of the two controversial high-rise condominiums in the Subic Bay rainforest began constructing the buildings well before free port authorities gave them official environmental clearance, a technical expert at the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA) has revealed.
When the SBMA finally released the Environmental Clearance Certificate for the two buildings, “about 20 percent of the project was already completed,” environmental and agricultural engineer Carlito “Bing” M. Rufo Jr. said in Filipino.
Rufo heads the Technical Environmental Review Committee that recommended to the SBMA board the approval of the housing project.
The project builder, Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Ltd., has said it built the condos to house its Korean employees.
One of the country’s biggest foreign investors, Hanjin has built a $1.6-billion shipyard at Subic and is constructing a $2-billion shipping facility in Misamis Oriental. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has supported the shipyard projects, saying they reflected foreign confidence in the economy.
Rufo said that while it was true that Hanjin passed all safety requirements and conditions for preserving the environment, it apparently also did some fast-tracking of the project on its own.
Project fast-tracked
“In the apartment project, lumalabas na nag-start na sila ng (it appears that they started the) ground preparation before they applied for an ECC from the SBMA ecology center,” Rufo told this reporter. “This violation was duly communicated to Hanjin, with the threat of sanctions.”
Rufo added: “Hindi pa tapos ang evaluation namin, nag-start na sila (We hadn’t completed our evaluation but they already began construction). Several times the ecology center threatened to issue them a cease-and-desist order dahil nag-umpisa na sila wala pa silang ECC (because they started construction even without an ECC).”
No violations committed
An ECC was eventually issued to Hanjin, according to Rufo.
But Rufo, speaking to this reporter who visited the project site last week, also said he could assure environmental groups that as far as environmental laws were concerned, no violations were committed.
He said he and a team from the SBMA ecology center made several on-site inspections to ensure Hanjin’s compliance with all environmental safety and mitigating measures.
The building of the two condominiums within the 10,000-hectare Forest Reserve and Watershed area of the free port has provoked an outcry from environmentalists and prompted a Senate decision to launch an inquiry into whether any environmental laws were transgressed.
Major locator
Amethya de Llana-Koval, head of the SBMA ecology center, indicated the processing of the Hanjin application was expedited. “The reason is quite obvious: Hanjin is a major locator within SBMA with billions of dollars in investment,” she said.
“The housing project of Hanjin is a priority project,” Koval said, adding that “when a project is a top priority, it simply means that SBMA management expects all the departments concerned to act and attend expeditiously to their requirements.”
Every step followed
Koval, however, clarified that it did not mean that Hanjin was spared from the step-by-step processing of its application.
“When a project is top priority, we usually get an order from management to expedite the processing of application,” she said, stressing that while this was the order she got from her superiors, it was only because Hanjin “is the biggest investor in the free port zone.”
Koval added in Filipino: “It was normal for us to expedite [some matters] but it does not mean that we will engage in shortcuts. It only means nakatutok kami, with focused attention.”
Rufo said the Hanjin housing project was one of several projects of the giant South Korean company that were expedited.
Express lane
“All Hanjin projects and requirements within the free port zone are considered priority because of their huge investment,” Rufo said.
As head of the Technical Environmental Review Committee, Rufo said there was an explicit request from Koval to expedite the evaluation and review of the project.
Rufo said there was no pressure from Malacañang—directly or indirectly—on his technical review committee. “Small-time lang kami (We’re just small-time),” he said.
According to him, when a project is expedited or submitted to the “express lane,” the review committee meets as soon as the proponent is able to submit responses to comments, rather than hold a meeting upon the availability of the review committee members. By Arlyn dela Cruz - Philippine Daily Inquirer
When the SBMA finally released the Environmental Clearance Certificate for the two buildings, “about 20 percent of the project was already completed,” environmental and agricultural engineer Carlito “Bing” M. Rufo Jr. said in Filipino.
Rufo heads the Technical Environmental Review Committee that recommended to the SBMA board the approval of the housing project.
The project builder, Hanjin Heavy Industries & Construction Ltd., has said it built the condos to house its Korean employees.
One of the country’s biggest foreign investors, Hanjin has built a $1.6-billion shipyard at Subic and is constructing a $2-billion shipping facility in Misamis Oriental. President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo has supported the shipyard projects, saying they reflected foreign confidence in the economy.
Rufo said that while it was true that Hanjin passed all safety requirements and conditions for preserving the environment, it apparently also did some fast-tracking of the project on its own.
Project fast-tracked
“In the apartment project, lumalabas na nag-start na sila ng (it appears that they started the) ground preparation before they applied for an ECC from the SBMA ecology center,” Rufo told this reporter. “This violation was duly communicated to Hanjin, with the threat of sanctions.”
Rufo added: “Hindi pa tapos ang evaluation namin, nag-start na sila (We hadn’t completed our evaluation but they already began construction). Several times the ecology center threatened to issue them a cease-and-desist order dahil nag-umpisa na sila wala pa silang ECC (because they started construction even without an ECC).”
No violations committed
An ECC was eventually issued to Hanjin, according to Rufo.
But Rufo, speaking to this reporter who visited the project site last week, also said he could assure environmental groups that as far as environmental laws were concerned, no violations were committed.
He said he and a team from the SBMA ecology center made several on-site inspections to ensure Hanjin’s compliance with all environmental safety and mitigating measures.
The building of the two condominiums within the 10,000-hectare Forest Reserve and Watershed area of the free port has provoked an outcry from environmentalists and prompted a Senate decision to launch an inquiry into whether any environmental laws were transgressed.
Major locator
Amethya de Llana-Koval, head of the SBMA ecology center, indicated the processing of the Hanjin application was expedited. “The reason is quite obvious: Hanjin is a major locator within SBMA with billions of dollars in investment,” she said.
“The housing project of Hanjin is a priority project,” Koval said, adding that “when a project is a top priority, it simply means that SBMA management expects all the departments concerned to act and attend expeditiously to their requirements.”
Every step followed
Koval, however, clarified that it did not mean that Hanjin was spared from the step-by-step processing of its application.
“When a project is top priority, we usually get an order from management to expedite the processing of application,” she said, stressing that while this was the order she got from her superiors, it was only because Hanjin “is the biggest investor in the free port zone.”
Koval added in Filipino: “It was normal for us to expedite [some matters] but it does not mean that we will engage in shortcuts. It only means nakatutok kami, with focused attention.”
Rufo said the Hanjin housing project was one of several projects of the giant South Korean company that were expedited.
Express lane
“All Hanjin projects and requirements within the free port zone are considered priority because of their huge investment,” Rufo said.
As head of the Technical Environmental Review Committee, Rufo said there was an explicit request from Koval to expedite the evaluation and review of the project.
Rufo said there was no pressure from Malacañang—directly or indirectly—on his technical review committee. “Small-time lang kami (We’re just small-time),” he said.
According to him, when a project is expedited or submitted to the “express lane,” the review committee meets as soon as the proponent is able to submit responses to comments, rather than hold a meeting upon the availability of the review committee members. By Arlyn dela Cruz - Philippine Daily Inquirer
Labels: condominium towers, ecology, environment, hanjin, sbma, Subic Bay
posted by OlongapoCity Zambales at
5:03 AM
2 Comments:
mga kabayan ko. Wag naman sanang may pampadulas na umiral sa kaso ng hanjin condo.At kung hindi naman kabayan bakit pinayagan natin pumuwesto ang hanjin company sa pinaka sulok na malapit sa project na pier. Atr sino sino ba ang titira dito sa condo na ito? Pinapayagan na ba natin mamahay at maghariharian and palagay ko natutunan na din nila maglagay at magshort cut ng pagpapaprocess. Mgayon palang vinaviolate na nila ang kalikasan at kapaligiran ng pilipino. Pag napuwesto na yang mga yan baka mamonopolize pa nila ang smugling ng shipment since malapit sila sa pier.It looks like their dictating our official in SBMA and others who is imvolve Kabayan ituwid lang natin tong pag kakamali. Sa ngayon palang media palang hindi na nga makapasuk. So aantayin pa ba nating umabot sa hindi magandang situwasyon to. Marami sa kababayan natin feel this is not right,Ituwid mo kabayan.
By
Anonymous, at 4/15/2008 7:51 PM
let's take the rule of law be rendered in this matter; sometimes we jump into conclusions without evaluation; having said that we should be vigilant as this is about our country: Remember Hanjin needs us as we need them. The important thing is that we preserve our humility and dignity as a nation.
rsdaz@dampay-amungan
By
Anonymous, at 4/17/2008 3:10 PM
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