TACLOBAN CITY – Government agencies, local government units, and civil society groups have formalized a partnership to ensure that the Basey–Maydolong Road is managed without compromising the ecological integrity of the Samar Island Natural Park (SINP), one of the country’s largest remaining tracts of old-growth rainforest.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) here in the region, together with the provincial governments of Samar and Eastern Samar, the municipalities of Basey and Maydolong, the church, and other stakeholders, signed a memorandum of agreement (MOA) on Wednesday, July 7, establishing a unified framework for the protection and sustainable management of the road corridor that cuts across the protected landscape.
The agreement seeks to balance the area’s growing transportation needs with the conservation of the Samar Island Natural Park, a protected area known for its rich biodiversity, endemic wildlife, extensive cave systems, and critical watershed that supports communities across Samar Island.
Among the signatories were DENR Eastern Visayas Regional Executive Director Arturo Salazar, Samar Governor Sharee Ann Tan, Borongan Bishop Crispin Varquez, Basey Mayor Luz Ponferrada, and representatives of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and other partner agencies.
Salazar said the agreement reflects the shared responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure that infrastructure development does not come at the expense of environmental protection.
“The Basey–Maydolong Road serves as a vital link for our communities, but it also passes through one of our most ecologically important protected areas. It is our shared responsibility to ensure that infrastructure development proceeds without compromising the integrity of the Samar Island Natural Park,” he said.
“Through this partnership, we reaffirm our commitment to achieving sustainable development—where progress goes hand in hand with the protection of our natural heritage for present and future generations.”
He added that the agreement demonstrates that infrastructure development and environmental conservation can coexist when supported by responsible governance, science-based management, and sustained collaboration among stakeholders.
Under the MOA, the parties committed to strengthening inter-agency coordination, adopting sustainable road management practices, and implementing measures that minimize environmental impacts while ensuring safe and responsible public access along the Basey–Maydolong Road.
The agreement also reinforces the shared responsibility of national government agencies, local governments, the private sector, faith-based organizations, and local communities in safeguarding the Samar Island Natural Park, a key biodiversity area and one of Eastern Visayas’ most important ecological treasures.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA)
