DAVAO CITY, Philippines – Environmental advocate here is urging the Davao City Council to pass the city’s Environmental Code, saying it will further spur economic opportunities.
Interface Development Interventions (IDIS) Inc. Policy Advocacy Specialist and lawyer Mark T. Peñalver said they are pushing for the passage of the environment code to ensure that Davao will be a sustainable city under its “Build Build” program which facilitates the entry of infrastructure and agricultural development.
“We are aiming to localize the Sustainable Development Goals in crafting the environment code to ensure Davao City’s development is sustainable,” Peñalver said.
IDIS is eyeing the environment code of Davao as the basis to allowing the entry of development without impairing the environmental aspect of the city. It will be a lexicon of provisions for the protection of the environment of a broad sense.
Peñalver said economic development and environmental protection “should go hand in hand” to attain sustainability in the city.
“We are always saying that we don’t want to become the next Manila. So we see the need to pass the environment code to ensure that while we are under development, Davao City is still livable” he added.
Though IDIS understood the possible conflict between the development and environmental protection, they argued that there should be a balance in settling the interests of investors and other business entities.
Peñalver added that in the crafting of the environment code, the local government should also ensure to include every sector of Davao City. This, he said, is needed to summarize all contributions and comments to avoid conflict of interests.
Peñalver also said that their group is certain that the local government of Davao will soon pass the environment code because it also promotes environmental-protection ordinances.
In Mindanao, one of the remarkable areas which pass an environment is the province of South Cotabato that bans open-pit mining.
The provincial government has rejected the proposed Lake Sebu large-scale coal mining project of Daguma Agro Minerals, Inc., a subsidiary of San Miguel Corporation and the long-time application of Sagittarius Mines Incorporated in the Municipality of Tampakan. (davaotoday.com)
