The UPLB community opposes House Bill 1143 because:

1) Fragmentation leads to degradation

• Segregating 57.77 ha from the the MFR will adversely affect its integrity as a watershed, source of geothermal energy and repository of different species of trees, birds, insects and other indigenous, valuable and exotic flora found only in the Philippines.
• This will also start the "inertia of degradation" and "edge effect." Once degradation starts from the BSP area, degradation in the other areas of MFR will be difficult to control.
• The degradation of MFR will not only adversely affect the entire area, but will also causes siltation and flash floods during the rainy season, and drying of river beds in Laguna and Batangas during the dry season.
• Segregating any portion of the MFR and excluding it from UPLB's jurisdiction, administration and complete control will defeat its primary purpose as a training laboratory for the advancement of scientific and technical knowledge. Executive Order 349 (Adopting the Mt. Makiling Reserve Area and Laguna de Bay Master Plan) recognizes the essence of a holistic, integrative approach in the sustainable management of the MFR.
• Allowing BSP to control a certain portion of the MFR will set a precedent and will cause more harm to the area. This will embolden other MFR lesees and stakeholders, both government and private institutions and individuals including upland farmers, to press on their land claim/stake over the MFR. Consequently, there will be no more MFR!

2) BSP has FAILED to sustainably manage the area.

• In the 2007 Jamboree, the legendary Mt. Makiling became a stinking garbage dump.
• Tolerating squatters (mostly retired BSP employees and relatives) in spite of the 1991 court order to evict them. Consequently, the squatters increased over the years.
• Constructing permanent structures without permit from UPLB – contrary to the lease agreement.
• With the full consent of the BSP, the area was reduced from the original lease area of 185.9 ha, to 110 ha and finally, 57.77 ha – again due to their failure to effectively manage the area.
• BSP has admitted that the MFR no longer has the capacity to accommodate a large number of participants. Yet it allowed 8,000-10,000 during the 2007 Jamboree, which actually ballooned to an estimated 18,000 participants.

LET US JOINTLY AND ACTIVELY OPPOSE HOUSE BILL 1143!