Senate to probe BuCor plan in Masungi

MANILA, Philippines — The plan of the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) to build its headquarters in an environmental reserve in Tanay, Rizal is set to be probed by the Senate committee on tourism.

The inquiry was prompted by a resolution filed by the committee chair, Sen. Nancy Binay, who cited the warning of the Masungi Georeserve Foundation that the BuCor’s plan would have an adverse impact on the environment and the tourism industry.

“The Masungi Georeserve is a conservation area and a rustic rock garden tucked in the rainforests of Rizal. Masungi’s name is derived from the word ‘masungki,’ which translates to ‘spiked’ – an apt description for the sprawling limestone landscape found within,” Binay said in her Senate Resolution 495.

“The Masungi Georeserve is a symbol of sustainable development and at the forefront of efforts to conserve, restore and improve the environment in the face of climate change, which must be protected by the government and private sector at all costs,” she said.

“While the initiatives of the BuCor to have a new headquarters and housing for its personnel are reasonable, it is important to weigh the possible consequences of building its headquarters in an ecotourism site like the Masungi Georeserve, which may affect the environment and tourism in the country,” she added.

Binay cited news reports quoting acting BuCor Director General Gregorio Catapang Jr. as having claimed that the bureau is the owner of the 270-hectare land in Tanay where its headquarters and residential sites for personnel will be put up. This claim, however, is strongly being contested by the foundation.

She noted that in 2019, the Masungi Georeserve received international recognition for its sustainable tourism practices at the annual World Tourism Organization Awards.

Ann Dumaliang, co-founder of the Masungi Georeserve, said the site being eyed as a relocation site is home to fragile limestone formations and included in conservation efforts under the Masungi Geopark Project between the Masungi Georeserve Foundation and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, through a valid and binding memorandum of agreement signed by then environment secretary Gina Lopez in 2017.

Binay also said scientists of the National Museum of the Philippines warned that developing the relocation site will have dire consequences for the environment.