Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Livino Duran yesterday said his office is preparing the technical requirements for a Special Tree Cutting Permit in the 169-hectare buffer zone of the Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park in Bago City.

But he also said they will await the Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan position on the request of the Philippine National Oil Co.-Energy Development Corp. for concurrence to its entry to the buffer zone out of respect for the local executives, he said.

Environment Secretary Jose Atienza Jr. confirmed Thursday having authorized the DENR regional director for Western Visayas to process the application of PNOC-EDC for a Special Tree-Cutting Permit.

In a memorandum dated Feb. 20, Atienza cited the merit of the PNOC-EDC request in terms of the production of significant geothermal energy that is considered as a better alternative to fossil fuel based power source, and pursuant to existing forestry and environmental regulations.

Atienza, however, said this will be subject to certain terms and conditions.

The PNOC-EDC has been seeking the concurrence of the Negros Occidental SP with its entry into the buffer zone to tap more geothermal energy for its Northern Negros Geothermal Power Plant that, so far, only produces about 5 megawatts from an earlier projection of 49 megawatts.

The DENR Undersecretary for Staff Bureaus sent the Memorandum of Atienza to the SP in response to its query on whether the SP endorsement is necessary or not, vis-à-vis the application of PNOC-EDC for a tree cutting permit in the buffer zone.

Considering that the LGU is a member of the MKNP-PAMB that has already given its concurrence to the request for a cutting permit, a separate LGU clearance is deemed no longer necessary, the DENR response to the SP said.

Vice Gov. Emilio Yulo III yesterday said the main intention of SP in writing to the DENR   was to clarify jurisdiction.

But, he said, the DENR answer is confusing, it did not specify which LGU had given its concurrence, he said.

“Why did PNOC-EDC ask for our concurrence if the DENR had already approved its permit to cut trees?” he asked.

“We have to clarify what the correct procedure to follow is, we hope this is clarified by the DENR,” he said.

“The SP will take action as a collegial body on the matter,” Yulo said.*CPG

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