by Lily Gut September 24, 2022 DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos (in black shirt) during his visit at the Masungi Georeserve in Baras, Rizal on F...
September 24, 2022
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| DILG Secretary Benhur Abalos (in black shirt) during his visit at the Masungi Georeserve in Baras, Rizal on Friday (Sept. 23, 2022). (PNA photo by Joseph O. Razon) |
BARAS, Rizal – The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) recently promised to protect the Masungi Georeserve Protected Area in Baras, Rizal.
DENR Undersecretary Jonas Leones stated during an ambush interview inside the Masungi Georeserve: “Atin pong pinangangalagaan ang Masungi Georeserve laban sa mga illegal claimants na gumagamit pa ng surveys para sa kanilang claims (We are protecting the Masungi Georeserve against illegal claimants who are even using surveys for their claims).”
“Kapag mapatunayang may mga sangkot na DENR officials dito, they will be properly charged kahit na retired na sila (If proven there are DENR officials involved here, they will be properly charged even if they have already retired),” Leones added.
According to Benjamin Dumalya, President of the Masungi Georeserve Foundation, 300 hectares of the protected area have already occupied by illegal tenants.
The Masungi Georeserve is approximately 2,700 hectares of forest land located in Baras, Rizal province, according to the DENR.
Nilo Tamoria, Regional Executive Director of DENR Region IV-A (Calabarzon), could only estimate that there are 30 claimants in the Masungi Georeserve whose surveys have yet to be verified and whose cases are still pending in court.
For his part, DILG Secretary Benjamin Abalos Jr. said, “the police detachment to be put up ang gagawa ng two things to make sure dahil nga sila ang steward ng government at walang magbabanta (the police detachment to be put up will do two things to make sure... because they are the steward of the government, that nobody will make any threats).”
Fully armed men allegedly made threats while roaming the Masungi Georeserve area.
“Magpapatrulya at iikot dito at magiging benchmark yan habang inaayos natin ang gusot dito (They will conduct foot patrols and make rounds here and this will serve as benchmark while we are fixing the problem here),” Abalos said.
“We need to protect this (Masungi Georeserve) for the Filipino and for every Filipino,” he said.
Dumalya expressed his gratitude to DENR and DILG officials for their respective assistance and assurance.
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