The Group of Environmental Socialists, an organization which protects the environment connecting through the people’s constitutional rights, seeks national support in regard to the multi-million Hinoba-an shipyard project.
The group, which claims they strictly followed the project since December 11,2018 stand their point that it is unjustifiable for its local government to grant the Japanese firm Tsuneishi Heavy Industries the Writ of Possession to start conducting the development of the Southern Negros Industrial Estate in Barangay Bacuyangan where natural resources in the site were excavated. The bulldozing of agricultural lands started, filling it with gravel to make a road, destroying crops and other livelihood of farmers and fisherfolks.
Randy James Rojo, spokesperson of the group, confirmed the response of the national government to their plea to stop the project as soon as possible. He said, he received a response from Atty. Noel Felongco, Lead Convenor to the Office of the President, to suggest a proposal letter addressing to the president to voice out conventional ideas that may help cancel the shipyard project.
The proposal was sent recently, hoping for the support and the intervention of the national government as the land is believed to be under the Republic Act 6657 or commonly known as the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program (CARP). CARP is the re-distribution of public and private agricultural lands to farmers and farm workers who are landless without tenured arrangement.
The group, which critically opposes the construction of the estate, says the provincial government of Negros Occidental and the local government of the Municipality of Hinoba-an took action without clear warning and transparency to its people.
Although the construction was authorized by the province, represented by John Michael Yee with the jurisdiction of the Regional Trial Court 61 of Kabankalan City under Sheriff Roberto Repique, Jr., the plan of making Hinoba-an a large industrial zone and facility gave birth to a massive outrage from the community and raising a number of disputes. The shipyard project was also opposed by Kaisahan, a non-government organization and ILCO Agrarian Reform Farmers and Fisherfolk Association (ILARFFA).
Earlier of this month, the groups barricaded their farms and residential lots to hinder the construction of the shipyard project.(Kristine Alonso/NDB; Photo by Hinobaan Gov’t)