Board Member Emilio Yulo III, acting presiding officer of the Negros Occidental Sanggunian, yesterday said the provincial board will also listen to those opposed, or have other opinions on the planned entry of the Philippine National Oil Co.-Energy Development Corp. into the Mt. Kanlaon Natural Park buffer zone in Bago City .

PNOC-EDC is seeking the conformity of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for its entry into 29 hectares of the 169-hectare buffer zone to tap more geothermal power for its Northern Negros Geothermal Power Plant in Barangay Mailum, Bago City .

The plant is currently producing 20 megawatts from outside the park and is seeking entry into the buffer zone to produce 20 megawatts more to meet an expected power shortage in Negros Occidental in 2010, a PNOC-EDC statement said Monday.

PNOC's entry into the buffer zone is allowed under Republic Act RA 9154 known as the Mt. Kanlaon Park Act of 2001.

Bacolod Bishop Vicente Navarra and the Save Mt. Kanlaon Coalition are opposed to the PNOC-EDC entry into the buffer zone, pointing out that it will hurt the biodiversity with the cutting of trees.

The buffer zone is a watershed in a critical state, an oxygen giver, a carbon sink and home of endemic, rare and extinct flora and fauna, the coalition said.

PNOC-EDC, on the other hand, said it has measures in place to mitigate the environmental impact of its entry into the park in order to fulfill its commitment to provide cheap and renewable geothermal energy to Negros Occidental.

“Considering that there are a number of oppositors who have formally manifested their opposition to the (PNOC-EDC) request, we would like to have more transparent proceedings.” Yulo said.

“That is why we have requested PNOC-EDC to submit all the pertinent documents relative to the request, including its management plan,” he said.

“We are also calling on those interested in interposing any objection to the PNOC plan to submit documents on why they are they are registering their opposition to the request,” Yulo said.

He said they hope the SP or the Committee on the Environment may then conduct an ocular inspection of the buffer zone and thereafter convene either on a committee level or as a whole to take up the request PNOC.

He also said they will take the opposition into consideration, and will listen not only to the Church but to environmentalist groups, members of academe who may have opinion on the matter and any other interested party.

There is no need to rush in acting on the request of PNOC-EDC considering the crucial issue on the environment, he said.

Meanwhile, Board Member Nehemias de la Cruz said he will not be influenced by the Church and the non-government organizations.*CPG

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