Plan to use Mt. Apo soil on Davao project denied

DAVAO CITY, Philippines — A company engaged in port development has denied a statement by President Duterte that it planned to extract soil from Mt. Apo and use this for the P39-billion Davao reclamation project.

The Mega Harbour Port and Development Inc. was referring to a report, wherein the President was quoted as saying that the plan was the reason why Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio scrapped the project.

In a letter to The STAR, the company said the alleged plan to use the Mt. Apo soil was contrary to a project proposal and application for environmental compliance certificate that it submitted to the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

It said their proposal stated the company’s land reclamation methods, wherein dredging and reclamation works involve the removal of silt and other unsuitable materials from the proposed area, trenching of the project area down to a good soil layer, and depositing the silt and excavated materials to a nearby disposal area.

Mega Harbour said the Davao project, which was approved by the President when he was mayor, was not a simple reclamation project.

It said the reclamation is a form of payment by the city government to the company for handling the slum upgrading works.

The project aimed to alleviate the plight of the poor by transforming the coastal area into a habitable, modern and decent community, it said.

Mega Harbour said it did not mention Mt. Apo as a source of materials for the project, adding that the company knew the mountain is a protected area.

Duterte was citing his daughter’s resolve when he mentioned the supposed reason why the project was scrapped.

He said Sara was firm on her decision to terminate the project.