POLITICIZED ECO-TOURISM ZONE

LINGAYEN—“The project is being politicized by people who have not achieved anything for Pangasinan and by those who have plans to pursue their national ambition.”

Provincial Administrator Rafael F. Baraan made this remark during a press conference held January 30 at the Capitol conference room to explain what he called the “ illogical and unfounded story” that has been circulating on dailies and radio lately regarding the eco-tourism project located in barangays Sabangan, Estanza, Malimpuec, and Capandan in the western part of Lingayen.

The story, according to Baraan, has caught fire lately and the least that the provincial government can do is to clear the issue once and for all in order for the big-ticket venture to finally take off.

“We have investments and we have our names to protect. This is not politics, this is governance,” he stated.

Baraan explained that it was not the intention of the provincial government to look for magnetite sand.

“It just happens that in a particular portion of the proposed golf course, the developer found out during the course of development the presence of black sand which can hinder the growth of suitable vegetation,” he said as he added that in a much bigger portion of the area, there is confirmed presence of lahar which also needs to be removed and replaced with a bigger volume of garden soil so that grass will grow and will make the soil more firm and stable.

“The provincial government has no intention to do any illegal activity. In fact, we allow that magnetite sand being extracted to pile up like a mountain because we want transparency here. We want everybody to see because we are not hiding anything,” the provincial administrator said.

Extraction activities, the provincial administrator added, have been cleared with the Bureau of Mines and Geosciences (BMG) which has confirmed that there are no pending applications for magnetite quarrying in Pangasinan.

Based on BMG records, there are 15 pending magnetite mining applications for La Union, 57 for Ilocos Sur, and 86 for Ilocos Norte.

Recently, residents of communities affected by the project along with their concerned barangay leaders reaffirmed their support to the mega-venture, which includes an 18-hole golf course on a 264-hectare government property, in their desire to improve the quality of life of Pangasinenses through job opportunities and other sources of income.

In terms of environmental protection, Baraan said that the provincial government is the first one to shield the province against destruction explaining further that the present administration has set its sight in prioritizing environmental protection thrust ever since Governor Amado T. Espino, Jr. served his first term in July 2007.

“Pangasinan is the only province in the region that has mangrove farm. We have been cited as regional Hall of Famer as best project implementer in terms of Coastal Resource and Management from 2008 to 2010 and Department of Environment and Natural Resources for environmental excellence and governance in 2011,” he noted.

It can be recalled that in terms of concrete and continuing environmental protection and preservation efforts, the Espino administration has been conducting massive dismantling of illegal fishing structures, dredging operations of silted rivers and integrated coastal management.

Also, the province under the leadership of Espino has propagated 269,957 multi-species mangrove seedlings and 439,242 fruit and forest tree seedlings to date, and has initiated mangrove reforestation in 28 hectares of coastal areas stretching to 57 kilometers of riverbanks with a total of 183,683 seedlings planted.

The eco-tourism zone in the western portion of Lingayen was conceptualized in 1994 during the term of former President Fidel V. Ramos when Espino was then the PNP Provincial Director.

As one of the pillars of the mega-project during its conceptualization phase 18 years ago, the governor initiated its realization that started with the groundbreaking activity in April 5, 2010 which paved the way for the coming of various group of investors expressing interest to invest in the area with the Korean group as the most interested party willing to establish an Aqua City which will serve as an industrial and recreation complex if realized.

Meanwhile, Pangasinan Provincial Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Office chief Alvin Bigay said that the portion of the proposed golf course where black sand was discovered is limited only to Barangay Sabangan, and a small portion of Estanza.

“Not all areas are extracted contrary to news reports which stated that black sand quarrying is ongoing in the entire area,” he stressed. (PIO)

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