Ensuring ECC compliance in implementing $214.44-M Samar road project

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Eastern Visayas is closely monitoring the construction of the $214.44 million Secondary National Road Project in Samar Island municipalities to ensure adherence to the Environmental Compliance Certificate issued by the DENR Environmental Management Bureau.

DENR Regional Executive Director Manolito Ragub said that a Multi-partite Monitoring Team (MMT) has been organized to monitor compliance to the ECC. The team is led by Environmental Management Bureau Director Leticia Maceda as chairperson. 

The ongoing road development project, which is being undertaken by the Millennium Challenge Corporation in coordination with the DPWH, covers 222 kilometers (km) stretch in 15 municipalities in two Samar provinces. 

These are Paranas and Hinabangan in Samar; Taft, Sulat, San Julian, Borongan, maydolong, Balangkayan, Llorente, Hernani, MacArthur, Mercedes, Quinapondan, Salcedo and Guiuan in Eastern Samar. 

The project also traverses 134 villages with 23 km crossing the Samar Island Natural Park which hosts 1,267 globally significant species of plants and animals. 

Ragub said that it is the mandate of the DENR to ensure that the environment and ecological safety of human population will not be sacrificed in the course of development. 

“Although the completion of the Samar road project will bring in more benefits to the people, impacts of air and water pollution as well as cutting of trees and protection of biodiversity resources should be addressed and mitigated during the implementation process,” Ragub underscored. 

Major parameters included in the ECC are air and water pollution mitigation and replacement of planted and naturally grown trees that will be affected in the road widening. 

Meanwhile, Reynaldo Barra, engineer and chief of the Environmental Quality Division, said the MMT regularly conducts air and water quality monitoring in areas affected by the project. 

With regards to the cutting of trees along roadsides traversing the SINP, no cutting is being done unless clearance is secured from the DENR through the Protected Area Management Board, the policy-making and governing body of the SINP, Barra said. 

Other members of the MMT include the DENR Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officers of Samar and Eastern Samar; Community Environment and Natural Resources Officers of Catbalogan City, Dolores and Borongan in Eastern Samar; DENR SINP Protected Area Superintendent; Department of Public Works and Highways Region 8; Millennium Challenge Corporation Project Management Office; Millennium Challenge Account- Philippines and its Project Management Consultant; the Provincial Governments of Eastern Samar and Samar; the Mayors of the 15 concerned municipalities; and the non-government organization Road Watch (Bantay Lansangan).