Gingoog City, Misamis Oriental – The insurmountable calamities and political tragedies which have battered our country has left our country in a dismal state. In the aftermath of the events of the floods Ondoy and Pepeng alone, thousands of Filipinos are left without homes and grieving over loved ones, whether they were actually lost or found. In the local scenario, the people of Misamis Oriental are no stranger to these calamities. This year alone, massive destruction has been brought to the cities of Cagayan de Oro and Gingoog due to the flashfloods and heavy rains last January and November incidents.

But these destructive incidents will not cease as more and more environmental laws and prohibitions are being blatantly disregarded by various mining and logging corporations, giving way to enormous environmental devastation. It is in this manner that we, the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center-Kasama sa Kalikasan/Friends of the Earth (LRC-KsK/FoE), Ecology care (Ecop-care), non-government organizations in Misamis Oriental and along with the various communities surrounding the areas of Mt. Balatucan and Mt. Minalwang, appeal to the office of the LGU of Gingoog City to immediate withdraw the resolution endorsing the “legal logging” activity through an Industrial Forest Management Agreement (IFMA) permit of Southwood Timber Corporation (STC) and call upon the immediate cancellation of their IFMA. Such agreement will prove to be detrimental not only to the environment but also to our lives, livelihood, homes, families and the entire communities.

Said IFMA agreement will allow the Southwood Timber Corporation (STC) to cut trees in the areas which are deemed in the process of becoming a watershed, which is crucial to the communities’ everyday life. Also, it will enable them to harvest those trees which serve as protection against upcoming calamities and floods which will affect the regions in the future. As such agreement of 11,476 hectares which will last for 25 years, one can only imagine what kind of calamities and floods our region will have to experience based on the flashfloods we have experienced this year alone.

Thus, with such impending monstrous disaster awaiting to happen if we fail to act correctly, our organization, in support of the communities in the affected areas, have already signed a petition and collected at least 12,000 signatures to oppose such agreement which will be undeniably harmful to the environment and especially to the lives and livelihood of thousand others in the communities.

Petitioners converged at Gingoog City Parish of Gingoog city and filed the complaint at 9:00am on December 18, 2009 before the office of Mayor Ruthie Guingona and the Sangunniang Panglungsod office.

Carl Cesar C. Rebuta
Team Leader
LRC-CdO, Regional Office
Carlrebuta [at] gmail [dot] com