DAVAO CITY Almost a hundred delegates for the Kabataan Partylist-sponsored Youth Climb expressed disappointment on the recent cancellation of their activity due to the entrance fee that they were asked to pay by the Office of the City Economic Enterprise Manager in Kapatagan, Davao del Sur.
“We will refuse to pay even if we have the money because we believe that we are not there to just climb Mt. Apo. We went there with the purpose of registering our pledge to campaign against the installation of the Hydro electric plant project by the Hydro-Electric Development Corporation (HEDCOR),” Karla Hyasmind Apat, vice-president for Mindanao of Kabataan, said.
Apat reported that a Bernardo Quipit Jr. from the Office of the City
Economic Enterprise Manager refused to allow them to pass through
Kapatagan and proceed to the community in Tudaya falls if they would
not pay the amount of P300 per person.
The Youth Climb 2007 delegates would then need to shell-out almost
P27,000, an amount that they don’t have.
According to Apat, this incident clearly manifests the
commercialization of the natural resources.
“Little do we know that those who refused to let us pass were paid by
the HEDCOR,” Apat added.
The Kabataan Partylist planned the said activity in time for the World
Earth Day.
Youth Climb 2007 aims to arm the youth with consciousness of
protecting and saving our natural resources and to express our
negation on the planned hydro electric plant project.
Prior to the Youth Climb 2007, Kabataan Partylist held a forum where
the role of the youth on preserving the environment along with the
negative effects of the power plant project was discussed.
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