This All-souls day, let us light four thousand candles in memory of the four thousand trees that were cutdown in Hacienda Looc, Nasugbu, Batangas. This destruction was done as part of the building of Nasugbu-Ternate Tourist Road, a component of project Calabarzon of the national government.

 Since October 13, 2004, all activities at the project site have been at a standstill. The people of Hacienda Looc united to prevent the continued bulldozing activities of the 310 Construction and LRTK Construction, contractors hired by the DPWH for the building of the Nasugbu-Ternate Tourist Road. Although almost 35 kilometers have already been bulldozed, farmers and lot-owners have not been paid by the DPWH for the right –of- way priveleges. UMALPAS-KA is calling on the responsible government agencies, most specifically the DPWH to dialogue with the people of Hacienda Looc.

 Large portions of Hacienda Looc are being claimed by the developer, Manila South Coast Development Corp., of which a major part is where the Nasugbu-Ternate Tourist Road is being built. According to former UMALPAS-KA (Ugnayan ng mga Mamamayan Laban sa Pangwawasak ng Kalupaan ng Hacienda Looc) president, Guillermo Bautista, ‘our productive agricultural land, homeland and forests were grabbed from us by the Manila South Coast Development Corp. (MSDC). They used their influence and money, in collusion with corrupt national agencies, to wrest the land which came from our ancestors from us.’ Although EP’s (Emancipation Patents), CLT’s (Certification of Land Transfers), and CLOA’s (Certificate of Land Ownerhip Award) were awarded to the farmers of Hacienda Looc, all of these were cancelled. This effectively removed major hindrances to the ownership of the lands of Hacienda Looc by the MSDC.

 In the face of the people’s continued opposition, hundreds of Philippine Airforce soldiers are now encamped in Hacienda Looc. UMALPAS-KA spokesperson, Roniel Asahan says, ‘more than one batallion of soldiers from the 740th PAF are in our barrios, roaming our fields, engaging in drinking sprees in our beaches while secretly watching our actions.’ There are no clear, stated reasons for the continued presence of  the PAF soldiers in Hacienda Looc. Whatever the reasons, MSDC’s interest is the one being protected. This justifies UMALPAS-KA’s position and call that all PAF forces be pulled out from Hacienda Looc now.

   Amidst all these, the question still remains, for whom is the Nasugbu-Ternate Tourist Road? Definitely, it is not for the 10,000 families residing in Hacienda Looc. It is not for the more than 4,000 old trees, hundreds of birds and other wildlife in the virgin forest of Mt. Palay-Palay which will eventually be destroyed as part of this project. It was not for farmers Roger Alia, Terry Sevilla, Maximo Carpintero, Francisco Marasigan and Perfecto Manalo, residents of Hacienda Looc who were killed for their continued opposition to the project.

 No one else will benefit from the completion of the Nasugbu-Ternate Tourist Road except Manila South Coast Development Corp. The corrupt officials within the national government and the Philippine Airforce are making sure of it.   /eof/ 
 

KMP - 30 October 2004