Farmers, fisherfolk and environment advocates
are set to launch a people's campaign against the establishment of the Southern
Negros Industrial Estate in Hinobaan, Negros Occidental, where a Japanese
shipyard will be built, Dolly Celedonio, Kilusang Magbubukid ng
Pilipinas-Negros secretary general, said yesterday.
On Wednesday, during the visit of President
Rodrigo Duterte to Japan, Negros Occidental Gov. Alfredo Marañon Jr. signed a
memorandum of understanding with Tsuneishi Heavy Industries for the
construction of a ship recycling and re-use facility and a biomass power plant.
He said the construction of the ship facility
is expected to start next year. Hinobaan Mayor Ernesto Estrao expects 5,000
jobs to be created and boost the economy of his town.
"Local executives proposing the project
are dangling promises of employment, relocation, tourism and better life for
Hinoba-an residents. But in reality, the project will affect hundreds of
farmers and fisherfolk and will wipe out everything that they have -- their
farms, their homes and their future," Celedonio said at a press conference
in Bacolod yesterday.
A fact finding mission by the Defend
Patrimony-Negros, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan - Negros, Kilusang Magbubukid ng
Pilipinas, Pamalakaya and local group Asosasyon sang Manggagmay nga Mangunguma
kag Mangingisda sa Obong shows that 300 households will be affected by the
project, Felipe Levy Gelle Jr. of Defend Patrimony south Negros said.
The economic zone will cover about 150
hectares of prime agricultural lands and fishing ground of small fishermen, he
added.
The proposed SNIE land-use plan obtained by
the fact finding mission team showed that the ecozone will establish a ship
breaking and ship recycling yard, car re-use and recycling facility , furniture
company, soybean oil factory, biomass power plant, and a industrial waste
collection facility, Celedonio said.
The project will also expand the Salvacion
sea port and will develop the local airport, she noted.
"Legitimate agrarian reform beneficiaries
will be affected by the SNIE and Tsuneishi shipyard project. We ask the
Department of Agrarian Reform to intervene, stop the land conversion and uphold
the welfare of farmers of Hinoba-an," Celedonio said.
The
said lands targeted for the ecozone project were expropriated by the local
government in 2014. There is also a pending petition for land conversion filed
by Marañon for the 127-hectares of land formerly used by Insular Lumber Co.,
she said.
Jeremias Juliane of AMMMO said they will
fight for the lands that are their only source of food and livelihood.
Source: visayan daily star. 29 October 2016.
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