Elcano, Jenny D.

BSA-4C

ARPECO: ENVIRONMENTALLY CRITICAL PROJECTS & AREAS

ENVIRONMENTALLY CRITICAL PROJECTS (ECP): Lingayen Golf Course Project,

Pangasinan

The Lingayen Golf Course Project is a 18- Holes Golf Course Project 300 hectares
Sabangan in Lingayen, Pangasinan with stakeholders, Xypher Builders Inc. Alexandra
Mining and Oil Ventures Inc. LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—After almost a year of
controversy, a government-initiated 18-hole golf course project has been granted an
environmental compliance certificate (ECC) by the Department of Environment and
Natural Resources.

In a Jan. 2 letter, Juan Miguel Cuna, Environmental Management Bureau

director, said the ECC was issued after the provincial government had “satisfactorily
complied with the requirements” for the project. The golf course, a component of an
ecotourism project of Gov. Amado Espino Jr., spans 38 hectares and covers the
coastal villages of Sabangan, Estanza, Malimpuec and Capandanan here. In 1998,
Pres. Fidel Ramos issued Presidential Proclamation 1258, ordering the development of
the property into an eco-tourism zone. The plan included resorts, an amusement park,
an aqua sports center, hotels, bars and restaurants, high-end residences and an 18-
hole golf course. After Ramos stepped down, from 1998 to 2007 the project did not
progress, and the land sat idle once again. The development was revived when
former congressman and police general Amado Espino Jr. was elected governor of
Pangasinan. A ground-breaking ceremony was held, with Ramos teeing off at the site
where the golf course would start. It would be the first and only first-class facility of its
kind in the history of the province and would hopefully attract first-time foreign
investors and tourists.

It is only natural for golf course designers to move hundreds of tons of earth to
optimize existing conditions and make them more appealing to golfers. In this case, it
was made even more necessary to discover why plants and trees were hardly
growing on the large tract of land. Only very small, isolated patches of coconut trees
and crabgrass dotted the property. It was curious, since the surrounding areas were
rich in trees, grasses and plants.

The ECC was issued months after the last of a series of public consultations was
held in July last year. The ECC requires the provincial government to impose measures
to prevent environmental damage. Among these are ways to prevent surface,
groundwater and soil contamination; a reforestation and carbon-sink program to
reduce greenhouse gas emission; and a storm water runoff management program.
Last year, Sabangan village chief Hector Fabiana said some villagers had opposed
the project but that their concerns have been adequately explained during the
consultations.
 ENVIRONMENTALLY CRITICAL AREA (ECA): Paoay Lake National Park, Ilocos Norte

The Paoay National Park is located in Ilocos Norte, 3 kilometers away from the
sea. It is a huge area in the province, measuring 470 hectares, that is bordered by 5
barangays. It is adjacent to the spectacular Malacanañg ti Amianan. The area is
stated as the as a National Park on June 21, 1969, under Republic Act 5631.

The site is a home of almost 77 species of common, endangered, and nomadic

birds. The lake is very serene and peaceful. The area around it is filled with different
amenities and facilities for guests such as the Fort Ilocandia Golf and Country Club.
The fresh water of the lake supports 300 farmers of the nearby communities because
it serves as a source of irrigation for their crops. The lake is inhabited by phytoplankton,
macrophytes and zooplankton which includes 8 species of copepods, 8 species of
cladocerans and 11 species of rotifers. Fish recorded include tilapia, catfish and
mudfish. Some aquatic plants also inhabit the lake such as water spinach, water
hyacinth, tape grass and Buntót-pusà (lit. "cat's tail", Dysophylla auricularia).

On the slopes around and above the lake grow ipil-ipil, acacia, gmelina and
banaba plants. The park is also home to avifauna species such as the white-collared
kingfisher, brahminy kite, and Philippine duck, including some migratory birds such as
the grey heron, osprey, and great egret. Paoay Lake (locally known as Dacquel a
Danum; Ilokano: Big Water) is a lake within the municipality of Paoay, in northwestern
Luzon, Philippines. It is the largest lake in the province of Ilocos Norte and one of the
largest natural lakes in the area. Historically known as Lago de Nanguyudan, the lake
supposedly was the site of a prosperous barangay called San Juan de Sahagún (Saint
John of Sahagún) that sank after an earthquake. The freshwater lake and its 1-
kilometre (0.62 mi) surroundings were declared a national park in 1969 by virtue of
Republic Act 5631. In 1978, through Presidential Decree 1554, the park was reduced
to an area of 340 hectares (3.4 km2) concentrated on the lake itself around its highest
water level.