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Masungi Georeserve in Baras, Rizal on April 18, 2023. Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File

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<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:950px"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/172031254511720230418-masungi-georeserve-visit-binay-MD-9.jpg" style="width:950px" class="fr-fic fr-dib"/><span class="fr-inner" spellcheck="false" style="text-align:left">Masungi Georeserve in Baras, Rizal on April 18, 2023. <em>Mark Demayo, ABS-CBN News/File</em></span></span></span></div><div><br/></div><p>MANILA — An official of the Masungi Georeserve Foundation Inc. said Sunday its deal with the government to conserve 2,700 hectares of forested land in Rizal province remains &quot;valid&quot; unless the courts cancel it.</p><p>Billie Dumaliang, director for advocacy of the Masungi Georeserve Foundation, said the government has yet to file a case to cancel the 2017 memorandum of agreement that allows the conservation of the georeserve park located in Baras town.</p><p>In May, Department of Environment and Natural Resources Legal Affairs Service Director Norlito Eneran said their team found a provision in the deal that supposedly violates the Constitution.</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/16/23/denr-eyes-scrapping-masungi-georeserve-agreement" id="isPasted">READ: DENR eyes scrapping Masungi Georeserve deal over &#x27;unconstitutional&#x27; provision</a></div><p>Eneran also said that Environment Secretary Maria Antonia Yulo-Loyzaga has the authority to &quot;unilaterally cancel&quot; the contract.</p><p>But Dumaliang told TeleRadyo Serbisyo that the Environment Department does not have the authority to say that the deal was void from the beginning unilaterally.<span><br/></span></p><p>&quot;They have to go through the process of declaring it void ab initio, which is done through the courts, but so far we have not seen formal action in regard to that statement,&quot; she said, though she added that Masungi&#x27;s legal team is &quot;preparing for any eventuality.&quot;<span></span><br/></p><p>Masungi Georeserve, which is the primary and longstanding caretaker of the forested land in Rizal that is home to prehistoric limestone formations and hundreds of plant and animal species, &quot;is being sidelined apparently in favor of vested interest in the land which is the main motivation for canceling&quot; the deal, Dumaliang alleged.</p><p>&quot;Kasi kung technical issues talaga, legal issues or environmental issues ang dahilan hindi cancellation ang magiging track, ang magiging track is really dialogue, visiting the site and collaboration,&quot; she said.</p><p>(Because if it is about technical, legal or environmental issues, they would not move to cancel. The track would really be dialogue, visiting the site, and collaboration.)</p><p>She said that the reserve is being eyed by quarrying interests and &quot;baseless&quot; land claims. </p><p>&quot;[M]arami din pong mga construction ng illegal swimming pool resorts tulad ng sa Chocolate Hills,&quot; she said.</p><p>(And there are many illegal swimming pool resorts like we have seen in Chocolate Hills)</p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/2024/3/22/stricter-policies-eyed-to-prevent-another-chocolate-hills-resort-2214">READ: Stricter policies eyed to prevent another &#x27;Chocolate Hills resort&#x27;</a></div><p>In a statement responding to calls from international celebrities including actor Leonardo DiCaprio to protect the conservation efforts of the Masungi Georeserve, DENR stressed that no one is exempt from the law.</p><p>It added that the land area &quot;occupied&quot; by the Masungi Georeserve Foundation is government property, which is the same area subject to joint agreements of government housing projects.<span></span></p><div><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/2024/7/3/leonardo-dicaprio-supports-call-to-protect-masungi-georeserve-632" id="isPasted">READ: Leonardo DiCaprio supports call to protect Masungi Georeserve</a></div><p>Dumaliang said Masungi is open to having a dialogue with <span id="isPasted" style="color:rgb(65, 65, 65);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:left;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;background-color:rgb(255, 255, 255);text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial;display:inline !important;float:none">Yulo-Loyzaga</span> regarding the issue. She also urged the official to visit the Masungi Georeserve to see where the conservation fees go and understand the challenges they face on the ground. </p><div><strong>— Rowegie Abanto, ABS-CBN News</strong></div><div><br/></div><div><span></span><strong></strong></div><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO</strong></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/gfKDMVNBIng?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div>

<p>An official from the Masungi Georeserve Foundation Inc. said Sunday its deal with the government to conserve 2,700 hectares of forested land in Rizal province remains "valid" unless the courts cancel it.</p>

An official from the Masungi Georeserve Foundation Inc. said Sunday its deal with the government to conserve 2,700 hectares of forested land in Rizal province remains "valid" unless the courts cancel it.

Masungi says conservation deal 'valid' unless canceled by court

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Masungi says conservation deal 'valid' unless canceled by court

ABS-CBN News

Published Jul 07, 2024 10:36 AM PHT

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Updated Jul 07, 2024 10:46 AM PHT

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