The Environment Management Bureau-Cordillera has issued a notice of violation to Alphaland Baguio Mountain Log Homes, Inc. located at Sitio Tocmo, Loacan, Itogon, Benguet for violating the conditions in its environmental compliance certificate.
In its Jan. 3 notice, the EMB-CAR said Alphaland has a total of 11 violations as regards to its ECC, a key document that must be obtained by establishments before undertaking major projects.
EMB-CAR Director Ma. Victoria Abrera said the notice stemmed from a complaint of a resident who has a property adjacent to Alphaland, where the soil from the company’s construction is being dumped at his lot.
Acting on the complaint, the EMB-CAR inspected the area in December last year where it found the violations of the ECC, adding the violations were connected to one another.
The excavated earth were pushed into a slope at the site and no mitigating measures were put in place prior to the excavation.
The company also has not secured a discharge permit, permit to operate and hazardous wastes generator ID, which was its commitment during the technical conference on May 24, 2022. Alphaland’s applications are still pending at the EMB’s online permitting and monitoring system.
Further, the company has not submitted any proof of its compliance in the conduct of an effective information education campaign (IEC) program and it also failed to submit its second semester 2021 and first semester 2022 compliance monitoring report.
During the monitoring, there were fallen trees observed but no cutting permit was presented during the inspection.
The notice also stated the area being developed by Alphaland is beyond the project description in its ECC.
Alphaland earlier signified to continue supporting projects and activities to be requested by the residents through the host barangay, but there were no updates from the company as proof of its compliance.
The company was given 15 days from the receipt of the notice to submit its position paper.
Abrera said EMB has scheduled a technical conference with Alphaland on Jan. 20 where the company will present its position paper.
If not complied, Alphaland will be penalized with P50,000 per violation and will have to explain in writing why its operation must not be stopped.
The EMB-CAR issued the ECC of Alphaland on Jan. 10, 2019 for its horizontal condominium project in Itogon. – Ofelia C. Empian
April 25, 2024
