Masungi Georeserve condemned the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) for its decision to terminate the Supplemental Joint Venture Agreement with Blue Star, calling the move “an attack on every Filipino striving to protect our natural heritage.”

In a statement, Masungi Georeserve emphasized that both Masungi and Blue Star have been at the forefront of efforts to protect the forest from land grabbers and illegal quarrying operations.

“It is the DENR who is at fault here. The agency has stubbornly refused to fulfill its contractual obligation to clear the area of large-scale illegal occupants, liens, and encumbrances, causing delays to the project and significant harm to its private sector partner,” the group said.

Masungi Georeserve further warned that the termination of the joint venture agreement puts the public, park rangers, and environmental defenders at greater risk as they continue to protect the threatened landscape.

The group also disclosed that they have not received the 15-day notice from the DENR regarding the termination but expressed confidence that legal remedies are available to allow them to continue their conservation work at Masungi Georeserve.