Ocampo, chairperson of the committee on environment at the 20th City Council said that his office has already invited officers from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) 11 and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) 11 to attend the committee hearing in order to shed light on the said project.
Ocampo at Wednesday’s (April 17) AFP-PNP Press Corps briefing at The Royal Mandaya Hotel said that he received a report from the City Engineer’s Office (CEO) regarding the ongoing concreting of road in the area.
He said the CEO report was based on the concern raised by the City Environmental and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) that DPWH has an ongoing road construction in the area considered as protected zones under the city government of Davao’s Comprehensive Land Use Plan (CLUP), and the city’s watershed ordinance.
“We are really baffled why DPWH is able to nakakuha sila ug Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC). Medyo nabahala ang committee (environment) tungod kay wala man mga balay didto unya kung muingon sila ug farm-to-market road there is no farm there. Bukid man na tanan puro na lasang. That is why I call for a committee hearing in order to ask DPWH, DENR, kung unsa ba gyud ni. Ang project nagputol sila ug kahoy, nag bulldoze, nagsemento therefore ang natural environment was disturbed and it should be a protected area,” Ocampo said.
Based on the statement from the tribal leaders in the area, Ocampo said the project has no Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) as the areas are within the ancestral domains.
CENRO reported that during their inspection it found out that there is indeed an on- going construction on said area, implemented by DPWH under contract with two degrees construction and supply contract amounting to P29,551,481.40, source of fund from the General Appropriations Act (GAA) Calendar Year 2023.
The road construction was more than 50 percent completed.
Ocampo further said, “We are not against development kay nindot man na but the problem is para kang kinsa tung kalsada. Para ba sa mga katawhan didto nga ang mga tao kasagaran naa man sa ubos, lagyo lagyo ang mga balay didto. We want to get the bottom of this kay lisod na muabot ang panahon naay mubutho didto nga resort or mansion unya ang syudad ug konseho na pud basulon kay wala namo gitagad. Karon pa lang daan nga nagsugod pa lang sila gusto namo mahibal-an kung unsa ang tinuod niini.”
Ocampo wants to find out the purpose of putting up such a project since the area is considered as a protected zone.
He also questioned the issuance of Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECCC) by the DENR despite the absence of a formal consent from the tribal council.
The committee hearing is expected to commence within this month.
Davao City First District Councilor Tek Ocampo