The Truth About APECO

CASIGURAN, Aurora, December 11, 2012-APECO sympathizes with the 120 marchers from Casiguran and their supporters from other towns and provinces. However, they cannot possibly represent 3,000 households affected by APECO’s development, as the area covered by APECO, namely Barangays Cozo, Esteves, Dibet, San Ildefonso, and Culat, only has a total of 1,336 households. Hence, this claim is impossible and without factual basis.

Furthermore, these marchers who claim that their land was taken forcibly from them by APECO are, in fact, informal settlers in a school reservation owned by the Aurora State College of Technology (ASCOT). This issue long predates the creation of APECO.

The 105-hectare property in contention was originally designated as a school reservation by virtue of Proclamation No. 723, issued by American Governor-General Frank Murphy on August 21, 1934. The Aurora National Fisheries School was created for this purpose. R.A. No. 7664, which created ASCOT, later mandated the integration of this fisheries school, and all its resources including the school reservation, with ASCOT.

While the ASCOT reservation is located within the boundaries of APECO, it cannot be utilized for anything other than its original purpose. APECO respects and honors this. The informal settlers’ claims of land ownership under the Comprehensive Agrarian Reform Program, and its extension program, is an issue that does not involve APECO.

Nonetheless, APECO has included these informal settlers among its housing beneficiaries under a program undertaken in partnership with the National Housing Authority (NHA).

It is true that there were 28 families displaced by the construction of the airstrip, which is a project of the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP). But it must be stressed that the CAAP has duly extended financial assistance, ranging from P55,000 to P154,000, to these families. They have also been included among the APECO-NHA housing beneficiaries.       

On the issue of ancestral domain, APECO has never conducted infrastructure development activities in any of the Dumagat settlement within its coverage. We have already sought the help of the National Commission on the Indigenous Peoples (NCIP) to facilitate Free and Prior Informed Consent (FPIC). APECO recognizes the existence of ancestral domain, and supports the IPs in acquiring their Certificate of Ancestral Domain Title (CADT). In fact, the provincial NCIP has commended APECO’s collaboration with the Dumagats and other IPs, such as skills training and livelihood programs.

APECO carries with it the mandate to acquire lands on the condition that it provides just compensation in accordance with law. That is what we have been doing. APECO has never resorted to the right of eminent domain or expropriation to acquire lands. Neither has APECO coerced any one to sell their land nor buy land at an unreasonably low price.

On the contrary, APECO has been buying lands at prices ranging from P240,000 to P300,000 per hectare, almost twice the assessed value. Lands that were brought at P600,000 were well-developed properties. Claims that APECO has been buying land for P45,000 to P60,000 per hectare are simply untrue.

We must emphasize that APECO has no intention to buy lands in the San Ildefonso Peninsula. We give due respect to the rights of existing integrated social forestry (ISFs) beneficiaries in the area.

The issue that APECO has cut 10 hectares of centuries-old mangroves to give way to its port is false and misleading. The port referred to is a RORO port that is not within the boundaries of APECO. This port was built decades ago, and rehabilitated by the Philippine Ports Authority as part of the previous administration’s strong nautical highway program. APECO has nothing to do with this port.

Regarding the supposed lack of consultation on the creation of APECO, all proposed laws are subject to public hearings and long public deliberations. This is the same process gone through by the laws that eventually created and expanded APECO.

We continue to conduct consultations to raise awareness on its development programs among the residents of Casiguran, as well as to seek residents’ proposals on how more effectively APECO can help them. In fact, on March 14, 2012, a municipal-wide assembly was held where 3,000 local residents signed a covenant for peace and development with APECO. This was followed by several barangay assemblies.

Finally, accusations of human rights violations against APECO are merely fabricated. We abhor violence, and have always chosen to avoid confrontation. We continue to talk to certain people claiming properties within APECO even without titles or proof of ownership. Though this has paralyzed important infrastructure projects, such as construction of the road network inside the corporate campus, APECO has chosen not to resort to expropriation or eviction, showing the extent of our restraint. We are there to build; not to destroy.

APECO values the residents of Casiguran. We want to help give a better life to the community through employment and livelihood. We are vindicated by the strong support of the real residents of Casiguran. In fact, legitimate IP leaders, landowners, fisherfolks, and barangay officials held a press conference at the Senate on December 4, 2012 to reiterate their support for APECO. Videos of this press conference can be viewed on APECO’s Web site.

APECO is for development, and the truth is, this is a development for the people of Aurora, supported by the people of Aurora. We appeal to certain groups with vested interests to stop spreading lies that will only serve to jeopardize the future of Aurora’s people. (Atty. Malcolm I. Sarmiento, President and CEO)