EDC agrees on assistance package for farmers and LGU
BACOLOD CITY -- The Energy Development Corporation (EDC) clarified that a minor operational upset happened outside the MKNP buffer zone recently.
“Our internal inspection revealed that the upset was caused by an equipment malfunction in an area adjacent to the existing power plant, which has no relation to EDC’s drilling activities in the buffer zone whatsoever. Though this temporary breakdown was immediately corrected within a few hours after it occurred, saline water may have leaked and affected a few ricefields in Sitio Gayas, Brgy. Minoyan, Murcia,” disclosed Erwin B. Magallanes, EDC’s Environmental Management Chief for its Northern Negros Geothermal Production Field (NNGPF).
The farmers blocked the intake canal, thereby causing saline water to evaporate and precipitate in the farms instead of being flushed out by clean water that was flowing to the ricefields. This may have caused newly-planted rice seedlings to dry up.
“We immediately asked the farmers to unblock the farms when we found out about it at 7:30 p.m. on March 3. The farmers relented and unblocked the area with the help of 2 of our own staff from 9:00-11:57 p.m.,” Magallanes said.
The day after, EDC immediately requested DENR Region 6 to look into the incident for an objective assessment. By March 5, newly appointed PENRO Jessie Vego ordered the Multi-Sectoral Monitoring Team (MSMT) to conduct an emergency monitoring. The MSMT (composed of the Department of Agriculture (DA), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), LGU then visited the affected farms in Sitio Gayas on March 6 and took water samples of both affected and non-affected areas, as well as that of Pula river water downstream of EDC area to come up with conclusive results. The samples were brought to an independent laboratory for evaluation.
Pending the results of the MSMT investigation, EDC already offered assistance to the affected farmers, per DA’s prescription and through the Minoyan-Mailum Farmers’ Federation, Inc. (MIMAFFI).
In line with this, EDC attended a meeting with the farmers of Sitio Gayas, Brgy. Minoyan, Murcia to settle the issue. The meeting held at the Minoyan Barangay Hall last March 26 was led by Murcia Mayor Esteban Coscolluela. A representative of Archdiocese of Bacolod’s Social Action Center Head, Fr. Aniceto Buenafe and Minoyan Brgy. Captain Elmor Juanitas were also there to witness the proceedings.
Mayor Coscolluela mediated between EDC and the farmers to ensure that there will be no aggrieved party. He validated if the farmers’ claims were the same as the DA’s report. “This meeting should put an end to any disagreement and restore harmony between EDC and the farmers,” said Coscolluela. “To be fair, we are elevating EDC’s assistance package to the farmers to the MSMT’s Executive Committee that will approve the final amount to be given to each farmer.”
This is in compliance with a provision under the Environmental Guarantee Fund (EGF) of the MSMT’s Memorandum of Agreement with EDC. It will be dealt with separately from the MSMT’s ongoing legal investigation regarding the incident.
Magallanes said: “We attended this meeting to once and for all, clarify all allegations that have been made against EDC in relation to the Sitio Gayas incident. The farmers themselves know that from the start, EDC has already offered assistance to them even prior to the completion of all ongoing investigations on the issue. While we don’t want to dwell so much on the specific amount that each farmer will receive, we assure you that we have offered what is fair to them and in compliance with the DA’s recommendation.”
“The equipment malfunction brought about by the cleaning and flushing of power plant pipelines for its recommissioning is a temporary, one-time activity that will never happen again since the same power plant will be used for the buffer zone,” confirmed Magallanes.