04/06/2026
Warning LONG READ (Delivered by Migo Monmon):
MANIFESTATION OF THE SANGGUNIANG BAYAN OF PANDAN, ANTIQUE before the Technical Conference Convened by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), Regarding the Environmental Compliance Issues of the Pandan–Ibajay Road Project:
The Sangguniang Bayan of Pandan, Antique respectfully manifests its position regarding the findings raised by the Environmental Management Bureau concerning the implementation of the Pandan–Ibajay Road Project, particularly the reported incidents of cutting beyond the approved Program of Works, soil erosion, unstable stockpiles of excavated materials, and the resulting siltation affecting downstream communities and waterways.
At the outset, we wish to make our position clear. The Sangguniang Bayan is not opposed to development. We recognize the importance of infrastructure projects in improving accessibility, stimulating economic activity, and creating opportunities for the people of Pandan, especially our hinterland communities. We acknowledge the potential benefits of the Pandan–Ibajay Road Project and continue to support its eventual completion.
However, our support for development should never be interpreted as support for non compliance with environmental laws and regulations. Development and environmental protection are not opposing objectives. They must go hand in hand. Compliance with environmental safeguards is not optional; it is a legal obligation and a responsibility owed to both present and future generations.
The concerns raised today are not merely theoretical. The findings of the Environmental Management Bureau point to actual environmental issues on the ground, including cutting beyond the approved Program of Works, soil erosion, unstable stockpiles of excavated materials, and siltation affecting waterways and downstream communities.
These concerns are further reinforced by the fact that the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, through the Community Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO), previously issued a Cease and Desist Order against portions of the project due to non-compliance with the conditions imposed under the Tree Cutting Permit and the absence of the required Gratuitous Special Use Permit (GSUP) before development activities were undertaken within forestland areas.
Taken together, the findings of the EMB, the actions of the DENR-CENRO, and the observations made by the Local Multi-Sectoral Review Committee constituted by the Sangguniang Bayan demonstrate that there are environmental compliance issues that must first be properly addressed.
Moreover, the project traverses areas that have been identified as highly susceptible to flooding, landslides, erosion, and slope instability. These conditions make environmental safeguards and mitigating measures even more important. In a hazard-prone area, mitigating measures are not mere technical requirements. They are necessary protections for lives, properties, communities, natural resources, and public investments.
Gusto man naton nga ang dya nga proyekto mangin madinalag-on kag magtao kang matuod nga benepisyo sa aton mga pumuluyo. Gusto naton nga dya magamit gid kag mangin mapuslanon, indi nga mangin isa lamang ka "white elephant" nga proyekto. Dapat naton dumdumon nga ang dalan naga-agi sa mga lugar nga may matarik nga terrain kag mataas nga risgo kang erosion kag landslide. Sa kadya, graveled road pa lamang dya kag mas madali maapektuhan kang mabaskog nga ulan, pagguho kang lupa, kag iba pa nga geologic hazards.
Kon indi husto ang pagplano kag pagpatuman kang mga environmental kag engineering safeguards, posible nga sa urihi indi magamit kag indi mangin mapuslanon ang proyekto.
Posible nga pirmi dya maapektuhan kang erosion kag landslide kag mangin mabudlay lutsan especially kang mga magagmay nga salakyan. Kun dya matabo, kanugon kang pondo kang gobyerno. Kanugon kang oportunidad para sa development. Kag kanugon kang pagsalig kang aton pumuluyo nga nagalaum nga dya nga proyekto magadala kang progresso sa anda kabuhi.
For this reason, the Sangguniang Bayan respectfully manifests the following demands and recommendations:
1. FULL COMPLIANCE WITH ALL ENVIRONMENTAL REQUIREMENTS
The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), as the implementing agency, must strictly comply with all environmental laws, permit conditions, clearances, commitments, and regulatory requirements governing the project especially sa mga phases nga completed kag on-going.
2. IMMEDIATE COMPLETION OF ALL REQUIRED MITIGATING MEASURES
The DPWH must immediately install, complete, and maintain all necessary mitigating measures intended to address soil erosion, unstable slopes, unstable stockpiles of excavated materials, sediment transport, and siltation. These measures should not merely exist on paper but must be fully implemented and effective on the ground.
3. TECHNICAL REVIEW OF THE ADEQUACY OF EXISTING MITIGATION MEASURES
The mitigating measures currently being implemented should undergo a comprehensive technical review. Considering the actual conditions of the project area and the findings already raised by concerned agencies, there is a need to determine whether the existing safeguards are sufficient and appropriate.
4. DISCLOSURE OF THE FEASIBILITY STUDY
The Sangguniang Bayan reiterates its request for a complete copy of the Feasibility Study of the Pandan–Ibajay Road Project. We have previously requested a copy from the DPWH Regional Office but were informed that prior approval from the Central Office is required because the document allegedly contains proprietary and intellectual property information. While we respect such concerns, we likewise believe that local government units and affected stakeholders have a legitimate interest in understanding the technical basis of a project involving more than One Billion Pesos of public funds, particularly when questions involving environmental compliance, public safety, and hazard susceptibility have already been raised.
The feasibility study will help us understand the basis for the route alignment, engineering design, drainage systems, slope protection measures, environmental safeguards, and hazard mitigation strategies adopted for the project.
5. REVIEW OF PROJECT DESIGN ASSUMPTIONS AND HAZARD ASSESSMENTS
The need to review existing mitigation measures naturally leads to a more fundamental question: Were the environmental risks and hazard conditions of the project area adequately considered during the planning and design stage of the project?
Accordingly, we respectfully request a review of the project's design assumptions, hazard assessments, environmental safeguards, and engineering interventions to determine whether they remain adequate and appropriate for the actual conditions encountered on site.
Finally, the Sangguniang Bayan of Pandan reiterates that our position is neither anti development nor anti-project.
Our position is simple.
We want the project to continue.
We want the project to succeed.
We want the project to be environmentally compliant.
We want the project to be safe.
And most importantly, we want the project to be truly useful and beneficial to the people it was intended to serve.
The issue before us is no longer whether development should happen. The issue is how development should happen.
The people of Pandan deserve a road that is not only built, but one that is lawful, safe, environmentally responsible, technically sound, and sustainable. We owe it to our people to ensure that every peso invested in this project translates into meaningful and lasting benefits.
If corrections are necessary, then let us make those corrections now—before nature, time, and future generations make us answer for them later.
Thank you.
