BACOLOD City – This city’s Environment and Natural Resources Office (ENRO) will look into the ongoing construction project in Barangay Sum-ag here.
Nelson Sedillo, ENRO officer-in-charge, said fisherfolk and barangay officials alerted the ENRO about the construction.
He, in turn, notified the Environment and Management Bureau (EMB).
Sedillo said he was referred to the Community ENRO based in Bago City, Negros Occidental.
The EMB reportedly told Sedillo it had no jurisdiction on the matter.
Meanwhile, Councilor Carlos Jose Lopez, chairperson of the committee on environment and ecology, said he would also look into the matter.
He received a copy of the letter of Sum-ag punong barangay Rodney Carmona to Environment secretary Roy Cimatu, he said.
“There is an ongoing beach resort project at the entrance of Sum-ag River,” Carmona earlier said.
The development was utilizing “about three hectares” of mangrove areas on the adjacent location of Purok Mabinuligon II of Barangay Sum-ag and part of Purok Punta Balas, Barangay Pahanocoy here, he added.
Carmona attached to his letter a petition from the barangay’s fisherfolk association denouncing the development project. The documents were also accompanied with photos which showed the “encroachment” on the river./PN
