Firm denies lack of permit for port, reclamation in Ayungon

CEBU, Philippines —  The management of a private firm which is constructing a port and a reclamation area in Ayungon town, Negros Oriental insisted that the projects are in order.

“The allegations against Silica Resources Corp. (SIRC) are obviously malicious and unfair,” said Mona de Leon, chief finance officer of SIRC.

At least 506 residents of Barangay Calag-calag in Ayungon town, Negros Oriental said that the firm did not act on their concerns and that it lacks the necessary permits in the construction of the private port and reclamation project.

The residents earlier filed complaints before the Office of the Ombudsman-Visayas against Ayungon Mayor Edsel Enardecido and the Philippine Port Authority (PPA).

They claimed that they were affected of the private port and reclamation project build by the (SIRC) in their barangay.

"SIRC has not been responsive to the needs of the community like maintenance of the road damaged by the company's constant use," read the complaint.

De Leon however, denied the allegation of the residents. They claimed that they had been in the industry for over 25 years and they operated and managed under good governance.

“Not true.  Barangay Calag-calag is traversed by the national highway which is a concrete road.  If you will visit Barangay Calagcalag today, you won’t see any damage on the concreted highway road,” she said.

Allegedly, SIRC proceeded to build the port and do reclamation without the Special Use Agreement of Protected Areas (SAPA), which they believed Enardecido and the PPA failed to require.

SAPA is an instrument issued to private persons and group that allows them to make productive use of a protected area identified under Republic Act 7586 or the National Integrated Protected Areas System Act.

The area affected, according to the residents, is within the Tañon Strait Protected Seascape.

De Leon said contrary to the residents allegations, they have secured a permit.

“We have undertaken the long, tedious and strict process of securing the SAPA for the construction of a port facility in Barangay Calag-calag.  We were able to pass and secure all the approvals,” she stated.

De Leon said they were able to secure the required Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) for the project from the Environmental Management Bureau-Department of Environment and Natural Resources as well as the Clearance to Develop and Construct the Port Facility from the PPA after complying with all the requirements.

The residents alleged that SIRC has no record of a mining permit at the Mining and Geo-Sciences Bureau-7.

De Leon admitted that they have no mining permit because the mining operation in Ayungon is owned by the heirs of Zayco and SIRC is merely a service contractor. — MBG (FREEMAN)