The Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) is investigating reports that Hacienda Asia Plantations, Inc. (HAPI) resumed planting palm seedlings and forest trees in Candoni, Negros Occidental, despite a cease-and-desist order (CDO) issued in June.
HAPI, owned by Consunji, operates a P2-billion palm oil plantation in Candoni, focusing on large-scale palm oil production and various agricultural activities, including forest tree planting. The company also engages in quarrying and road construction, activities that have previously drawn regulatory scrutiny.
Vicente Losbañes, EMB–Negros Island Region Officer-in-Charge, said a local group filed a complaint claiming that HAPI continued plantation-related activities without authorization.
The bureau issued the CDO after HAPI failed to secure an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC), halting its quarry operations, road construction, and other development works.
Losbañes added that HAPI’s amended 25-year Comprehensive Development and Management Plan (CDMP) remains pending approval, a requirement the company must fulfill before resuming operations.
The EMB is coordinating with the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to determine whether the reported planting activities fall within permissible exceptions to the CDO.
If the allegations prove accurate, HAPI could face a notice of violation and an additional stoppage order.
As of now, the company has not issued a public statement regarding the reports.
The EMB expects to complete its validation process soon to ensure that HAPI complies with environmental regulations and protects local ecosystems.*
Reymund Titong is a Filipino journalist steadily building his voice in the field of news reporting, driven by a commitment to tell meaningful and relevant stories.
He serves as a correspondent for Rappler, maintains a personal blog on Medium, and is the communications officer of Hope Builders Organization Negros Island.