Solon calls out ‘anti – people’ restrictions in Mount Santo Tomas

By Aldwin Quitasol

TUBA, Benguet — Benguet Legislative caretaker Eric Go Yap on Tuesday urged the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources–Cordillera Administrative Region (DENR-CAR) to ease the alleged “unreasonable” and “anti-people” restrictions on local residents in Mt. Santo Tomas here.
    Yap said residents are lamenting they have been deprived of economic activities — including e barred from repairing their houses even after experiencing typhoons and other natural disasters — and absence of legitimate source of electricity among others.
    “We’ve been consistently hearing their predicaments over the past few years brought about by the issuance of the Writ of Kalikasan in 2015. More painful was until yesterday when I witnessed first-hand how their lives were miserably affected by the Writ,” Yap said.
    The lawmaker sent a letter to the regional director of the DENR–CAR about the concerns and urged immediate attention and action, noting that the “rationale for the issuance of the order is to ensure environmental protection and it does not, in any way or form, remove the rights of the residents to decent living condition.”
    He said Sto. Tomas residents should be given a clearance certificate that will allow installation of power supply in existing households for humanitarian reasons.
    DENR had earlier reportedly denied residents clearance certificates insisting on the issued Writ of Kalikasan.
    Yap added numerous areas similar to the terrain of Mount Santo Tomas were allowed to be developed and residents there should also be given consideration.