Updated on February 20 // 10:05 PM
House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro condemned the drilling activities within the Masungi Georeserve in Rizal province, emphasizing the urgent need to protect the fragile protected area from further harm.
“The drilling inside the Masungi Karst Conservation Area for the planned wind energy farm poses a severe threat to the environment, particularly endangering the local bird and bat species as well as the delicate ecosystem of the area,” Castro, an opposition lawmaker, added.
Castro stressed the importance of upholding existing environmental protections and ensuring that industrial projects do not encroach upon sensitive ecological zones such as the Masungi Georeserve.
“We call for the immediate stop and relocation of this project by the Rizal Wind Energy Corp. (RWEC) whose parent company, Singapore-based Vena Energy, would wreak havoc on our fragile ecology and spell dangerous floods like those experienced now in Mindanao,” Castro said.
At the same time, Castro, member of the Makabayan Bloc, called for a revocation of government permits for the wind energy project within the protected area.
“It is essential to prioritize the preservation of our natural heritage and biodiversity over industrial interests that could irreversibly damage the ecosystem,” she stated.
“Congress should also investigate this latest encroachment in the protected area as when portions of it are destroyed then it would take thousands of years to restore,” Castro added.
The Masungi Georeserve Foundation’s efforts to safeguard the area and their call for relocation of the project outside the protected zone are supported by Castro and her party-list group.
“We stand in solidarity with the caretakers of the Masungi Georeserve in their advocacy for the protection of this vital ecological site. It is imperative that we uphold env ronmental laws and consult with key stakeholders to ensure the sustainable management of our natural resources,” she stressed.