A special meeting was held by the Provincial Development Council (PDC) to tackle land use issue in the municipality of Tampakan.
The issue stemmed during the yearend special PDC meeting last December 2014 when the town’s mining development area was not included in the Provincial Development and Physical Framework Plan (PDPFP) formulated by the Provincial Planning and Development Office (PPDO).
Mining giant Sagittarius Mine, Inc. (SMI) has an existing Financial Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) to explore and conduct mining activities at barangays Danlag, Tablu and Pulabato in the said town.
Through Municipal Development Council Resolution #2, series of 2015, Tampakan LGU requested PDC to reconsider its first decision and include their mining development area in the PDPFP map.
But according to PPDO Plans and Programs chief Jennifer Bretana who made a presentation of the PDC-approved PDPFP, the technical working group employed the “water-shed approach” in formulating the plan.
Bretana added that they classified land use into only four (4) categories such as protection, production, settlement and infrastructure areas.
Tampakan’s mining development area is classified as a watershed area and falls into the protection category.
“The PDPFP is indicative in nature and will be the basis in the formulation of the city or municipality respective comprehensive land use plan (CLUP),” Bretana further added.
With said explanation, Governor Daisy Avance Fuentes, PDC Chair, requested Tampakan Mayor Leonardo Escobillo who was also present during the meeting to defer their request until they have submitted their CLUP to the Provincial Land Use Committee (PLUC).
PLUC is a sectoral committee of PDC that reviews and endorses the CLUP to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan for proper legislative action.
