Leyte 4th District Representative Richard Gomez. | File photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines – Rep. Richard Gomez of the 4th district of Leyte wanted to know why a poultry farm was allowed to operate close to the Palompon Watershed Forest Reserve (PWFR), a protected area.
At the same time, Gomez has asked Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Loyzaga to cancel the Environment Compliance Certificate (ECC) that was issued to DBSN Farm and Agriventure Inc. that is located in Brgy. San Joaquin in Palompon town.
The farm is owned by Palompon Mayor Ramon Oñate.
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Gomez also mentioned, during the 2025 budget deliberations by the House Committee on Appropriations, of the controversial developments at the Chocolate Hills in Bohol and the Kaliwa River Forest and Wildlife Santuary that is part of the Sierra Madre Mountain range that were ordered closed by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) because of their lack in ECC.
Loyzaga was present during the budget deliberations to discuss DENR’s 2025 budget request.
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Gomez said he finds it hard to believe that the 98, 000 head poultry breeder farm in San Joaquin was issued an ECC in 2018 even if this was located just 200 meters away from the PWFR.
Protected area
In 2020, the ECC was even amended to expand the farm’s operations to part of the PWFR, a protected area and forestland / timberland, he said.
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Gomez showed Loyzaga a map of the location poultry farm and a copy of its ECC application which did not even specify that it was located within a 1 kilometer radius from the protected area.
“It’s clear that, in fact, that these buildings are within what is being described now as a protected area,” Loyzaga commented.
“My clear position is it needs to be beneficial to the protection and management of this area,” she added.
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Representatives Stella Quimbo and Jose Alvarez both supported the appeal of Gomez for the immediate cancellation of the ECC that was issued to the DBSN Farm.
For his part, Rep. Paul Daza manifested that the Committee on Appropriations defer further discussions on DENR’s 2025 budget request pending the resolution of the issue on the DBSN Farm.
Sec. Loyzaga has vowed to address the matter the soonest time possible.
Alienable, disposable land
In an interview, Mayor Oñate said that the lot that is occupied by his farm is titled.
“Botbot man na kay naa may certification gikan sa DENR nga alienable, disposable land [na] where in fact, naay title,” Oñate said.
He said that Gomez was only trying to mislead the members of Congress.
Oñate is now challenging Gomez to bring his accusations outside of Congress so he could file appropriate charges against him.
“The above reckless allegation of Congressman Gomez is but a pure political harassment which has exposed him to a possible indirect contempt of court, knowing fully well that an Environmental case is still pending before the Court of Appeals, Cebu elevated by remaining few complainants for having been dismissed before the RTC Palompon, Leyte. Further, a recent application for search warrant is now subject for motion to quash before RTC 45, Tacloban City involving the same issues and subject matter,” DBSN Farm said in a statement.