Under the MOU, the province was required to set aside three hectares as test area for aquaculture and another 500 hectares for seedling plantation, and another 25,000 hectares up to a 100,000 hectares for aquaculture development particularly seaweed farms.

Aside from this condition, the MOA stated that ‘Bohol will work with neighboring provinces to consolidate up to a total of one million hectares (1,000,000) for the same endeavor.’

Dried seaweed ready for sorting.(Photos courtesy of PBSB / bulatlat.com)

Last October 2010, members of the provincial board urged Chatto to form a technical working group (TWG) composed of various government agencies to review the Record of Discussion (ROD) and the MOU. The ROD was then signed by Kim Jinoh of the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA) and representatives of the LGU and the Department of Science and Technology (DOST).

The ROD focused on the establishment of bio-ethanol research center while the MOU, which did not have the imprimatur of the board, stipulated the sea areas staked out for seaweed mass production supposedly to be allowed by the provincial government and the municipalities.

After reports of the MOU came out, seaweed farmers and other stakeholders in Danajon Double Barrier Reef between Cebu and Bohol immediately raised a howl, saying that they were not consulted. They also said the ROD results should not be upheld for the same reason.
Residents comprised of seaweed farmers and fisherfolk are greatly reliant on the Danajon Bank for their livelihood and survival. The reef is considered a rare marine eco-systems formation. It is also the only one in Asia and one of six in the world.

Seaweed farmers protested against the possibility that they would turn into mere laborers of the giant foreign corporations instead of independent farmers and cultivators of said seaweed.

Hundreds of Acres of Bioethanol Farms

Bokkana-Bohol secretary general Paula Destor said that besides the ones in Bien Unido and Talibon, seaweed farms for the bio ethanol project were also constructed in Inabanga, Getafe, CP Garcia, Ubay , Mabini, Buenavista, Panglao, , Anda, Valencia, Guindulman, Baclayon and and Calape, with the farms collectively covering hundreds of hectares.

“Seaweeds farms are all over Bohol and the small fisherfolk are prevented from fishing near the bio ethanol farms. If they get near these seaweed plantations, they are harassed by security personnel,” she said.

Destor said seaweed farms for bio ethanol extraction are also eyed in the coastal municipalities of Tubigon, Clarin, Dauis, Candijay, Jagna, Dimiao, Duero, G. Hernandez, Loon, Maribojoc, Loay, Tagbilaran City, Alburquerque and Cortes.

The Bokkana leader said bio ethanol project also targets 6,000 hectares off the waters of Danajon Bank areas. The Korean bio ethanol firm initially wanted to put up seaweed farms in 3,817 hectares off the waters of Bien Unido, 3,470 hectares in Talibon, 2,491 hectares in Inabanga, 2,037 hectares in Getafe, 1,145 hectares in CP Garcia, 903 hectares in Ubay, 855 hectares in Tubigon, 585 hectares in Mabini, 535 hectares in Buenavista, 290 hectares in Panglao, 288 hectares in Candijay, 247 hectares in Anda, 210 hectares in Jagna, 302 hectares in Valencia, 300 hectares in Guindulman, 224 hectares in Loay, 190 hectares in G Hernandez and 260 hectares in Calape.

Protests Against Bioethanol in Isabela

In the meantime, it is not just the people of Bohol who are up against bioethanol projects. This time, it is not seaweed plants that are being planted but sugarcane.

Some 400 farmers and activists staged a protest march at the start of the month to oppose the construction of a bioethanol plant in San Mariano , Isabela. The project of the provincial government and Green Future Innovations Inc. (GFII) is among those Pesident Benigno Aquino sought financial support for when he visited Japan last year.

The farmers group Danggayan Dagiti Mannalon iti Isabela-San Mariano, said the project would turn landowning farmers as tenants under a 15-year contract growing agreement for sugarcane. It said that resident farmers are worried that their lands would never be returned to them. Farmers in at least 846 hectares are in danger of being displaced from their own lands.

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