A group of priests of the Diocese of Bacolod has been commissioned by Bishop Vicente Navarra to conduct a fact-finding mission on the situation of the protected areas that has been encroached on for geothermal expansion activities by the Energy Development Corp. in Bago City, Negros Occidental.

In his letter to Board Member Mae Javellana, chairperson of the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources of the Negros Occidental Sangguniang Panlalawigan, Navarra said the purpose of the fact-finding is to gather information for an education campaign to the people of the Diocese and to dialog with concerned stakeholders of the Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park exploration.

“In this regard, we are asking your benevolent cooperation to allow the team of priests to conduct the fact-finding mission,” he said.

Vice Governor Emilio Yulo III yesterday said he will refer the request of Navarra to the committee of Javellana, who also chairs a multi-sectoral committee of the provincial government of Negros Occidental tasked to monitor the ongoing EDC activities within the 12.5-hectare Mt. Kanlaon buffer zone.

The proposed fact-finding mission is set within this week.

The environmentalist group, Green Alert, had accused Javellana of hiding something, in her denial to let them join their next visit, to inspect the ongoing clearing activities of EDC at the buffer zone.

EDC has almost completed the initial clearing of 3.3 kilometer road length inside the buffer zone, and within the two geothermal pads, and they expect the civil work to start January or February next year.*GPB

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