We shivered in fear after hearing that DENR has issued Environmental Clearance Certificates (ECCs) for the planting of pineapples on a 1,000-hectare mountainous and rolling terrain in Barangays San Jose and Sinawal, the few remaining bulwarks of Indigenous People’s rich cultural heritage.
Conversion of upland areas into pineapple plantations is an invitation to a rampaging environmental disaster and, as proven in New Orleans, even America’s sophisticated nuclear armaments were proven useless against the invincible fury of a revolting nature.
In his book, Care for the Earth, A Call for a New Theology, Fr. Sean McDonough described how pineapple plantations in plains and valleys could trigger deadly floodings in low-lying areas. Clearly, the disaster could even become worst if they are established in mountainous and rolling landscape, like those in Barangays Sinawal and San Jose.
The geographical character of General Santos City forewarns us of this danger. Giant water tributaries and natural creeks and waterways from Barangays San Jose and Sinawal snake through the city’s major commercial and residential centers toward the Sarangani Bay, a water basin.
Thus, in case of rampaging floods, the city’s commercial and residential centers, including the General Santos City International Airport, could be ravaged. It could also destroy the Sarangani Bay’s majestic underwater sceneries and pollute its waters, as floods result to siltation and Dolefil fruit ventures are basically chemical-based.
Kevin Davis, Dolefil vice president and managing director, cannot hide this “murderous scheme” by trumpeting rural development concerns. As proven by actual experiences, pineapple plantation results to the impoverishment of rural communities because of its extractive nature. Moreover, it paves the way to a contract-growing scheme, which is generally considered as contract of poverty and destructive of the Indigenous People’s way of life.
As has been reported, the ECCs for the planting of pineapple in Barangays San Jose and Sinawal were issued by the DENR to Indigenous People’s cooperatives, which were allegedly organized through the behest of a Dolefil, without the imprimatur of the city government; thus, undermining its statutory powers.
Since the PANAMIN days, instances that bespeak of how tribal communities were exploited by their own unscrupulous leaders, with the connivance of equally unscrupulous national government officials, are already in great abundance. Unfortunately, perhaps with greater impunity now, this same pattern of exploitation and deceit is again unfolding before us.
Lately, in Populurum Progressio, the Vatican announced that destruction of the environment is now considered primus inter pares, first among equals, in the hierarchy of mortal sins. Thus, the hottest part of hell is reserved for those who are responsible for the introduction of pineapple plantations in Barangays San Jose and Sinawal.
