LTR TO PRES. BBM;SENATE & CONGRESS: "PROTECT SUBIC BAY: INVESTIGATE, REGULATE, PREVENT"
LTR TO PRES. BBM;SENATE & CONGRESS: "PROTECT SUBIC BAY: INVESTIGATE, REGULATE, PREVENT"
The Issue
TO: THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES;
THE SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES; and
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PHILIPPINES
RE: AN URGENT APPEAL FOR AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO THE TIPO HIGH-TECH ECO PARK LANDSLIDE, REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL APPROVALS, ACCOUNTABILITY OF RESPONSIBLE PRIVATE AND GOVERNMENT ACTORS, PROTECTION OF ADJACENT COMMUNITIES,
AND REVIEW OF THE SUBIC-CLARK RAILWAY PROJECT’S IMPACT ON MANGROVES
CC:
● Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA)
● Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
● Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
● Department of Transportation (DOTr)
● Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA)
● Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP)
● Office of the Ombudsman
● Provincial Government of Zambales
● Provincial Government of Bataan
● City Government of Olongapo
● Municipal Government of Subic, Zambales
● Municipal Government of Dinalupihan, Bataan
● Municipal Government of Morong, Bataan
● Municipal Government of Hermosa, Bataan
Other concerned national government agencies and local government units
APPEAL FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION
WE, THE UNDERSIGNED STAKEHOLDERS–RESIDENTS, AYTA COMMUNITIES, BUSINESS GROUPS, AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS OF SUBIC BAY FREEPORT ZONE, COMPOSED OF FREEPORT-DESIGNATED AREAS UNDER REPUBLIC ACT 7227 (Olongapo City; Subic town in Zambales; and Dinalupihan, Hermosa, and Morong in Bataan), AND CONCERNED FILIPINO CITIZENS, respectfully appeal to the President of the Republic of the Philippines, the Senate, and the House of Representatives to immediately investigate the circumstances surrounding the recent landslide and retaining-wall failure at the Tipo High-Tech Eco Park (THEP) inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, and to conduct a broader review of development, engineering, environmental, land-use and safety practices within the Freeport and its surrounding communities.
We make this appeal not merely because of one tragic incident, but because it raises serious questions about whether development within and immediately adjacent to the Freeport is being undertaken in a manner consistent with public safety, environmental protection, sound urban planning, and the long-term interests of the communities of Subic Bay.
THE TIPO HIGH-TECH ECO PARK INCIDENT
A video circulating online appears to show a retaining structure or slope-protection system giving way at the Tipo High-Tech Eco Park. The footage appears to show a truck being caught in moving soil, with what appears to be a person inside the vehicle. Several individuals can also be seen attempting to reach the truck and assist in the rescue.
The incident occurred following weeks of persistent rainfall in the area and was also reported by several news agencies:
SBMA released a statement confirming the incident:
It’s location in the Google Map:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/e4be3MdPGyUUkHUBA
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1160306
And how it looks like from Google Earth:
The accompanying Google Earth aerial photograph provides a visual reference to the location of the Tipo High-Tech Eco Park (THEP) and the extent of tree clearing and deforestation visible in the surrounding area.
Residents in the communities around Tipo Road were apparently unaware that a business activity had been awarded by SBMA to the group that developed THEP, or that a major facility was being constructed in the area. By the time residents and motorists passing along Tipo Road began noticing the site, the facility had already been erected and the landscape had undergone a significant transformation.
What we saw was, in effect, a sudden and substantial change to an area they had long known as forested and largely undeveloped. The aerial image helps place that change in context and raises legitimate questions about how the project was planned, approved, communicated to affected communities, and implemented.
While rainfall may have contributed to the failure, the public deserves an independent determination of the actual causes and contributing factors.
The investigation must establish, among other matters:
___________________________________________
READ OUR URGENT APPEAL IN FULL:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dGROVasaJZbR3QIlTJAMFzikWf8T9XFm4ezAdAy2kwc/edit?usp=drivesdk
160
The Issue
TO: THE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES;
THE SENATE OF THE PHILIPPINES; and
THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE PHILIPPINES
RE: AN URGENT APPEAL FOR AN INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION INTO THE TIPO HIGH-TECH ECO PARK LANDSLIDE, REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL APPROVALS, ACCOUNTABILITY OF RESPONSIBLE PRIVATE AND GOVERNMENT ACTORS, PROTECTION OF ADJACENT COMMUNITIES,
AND REVIEW OF THE SUBIC-CLARK RAILWAY PROJECT’S IMPACT ON MANGROVES
CC:
● Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority (SBMA)
● Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR)
● Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH)
● Department of Transportation (DOTr)
● Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA)
● Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP)
● Office of the Ombudsman
● Provincial Government of Zambales
● Provincial Government of Bataan
● City Government of Olongapo
● Municipal Government of Subic, Zambales
● Municipal Government of Dinalupihan, Bataan
● Municipal Government of Morong, Bataan
● Municipal Government of Hermosa, Bataan
Other concerned national government agencies and local government units
APPEAL FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION
WE, THE UNDERSIGNED STAKEHOLDERS–RESIDENTS, AYTA COMMUNITIES, BUSINESS GROUPS, AND CIVIL SOCIETY ORGANIZATIONS OF SUBIC BAY FREEPORT ZONE, COMPOSED OF FREEPORT-DESIGNATED AREAS UNDER REPUBLIC ACT 7227 (Olongapo City; Subic town in Zambales; and Dinalupihan, Hermosa, and Morong in Bataan), AND CONCERNED FILIPINO CITIZENS, respectfully appeal to the President of the Republic of the Philippines, the Senate, and the House of Representatives to immediately investigate the circumstances surrounding the recent landslide and retaining-wall failure at the Tipo High-Tech Eco Park (THEP) inside the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, and to conduct a broader review of development, engineering, environmental, land-use and safety practices within the Freeport and its surrounding communities.
We make this appeal not merely because of one tragic incident, but because it raises serious questions about whether development within and immediately adjacent to the Freeport is being undertaken in a manner consistent with public safety, environmental protection, sound urban planning, and the long-term interests of the communities of Subic Bay.
THE TIPO HIGH-TECH ECO PARK INCIDENT
A video circulating online appears to show a retaining structure or slope-protection system giving way at the Tipo High-Tech Eco Park. The footage appears to show a truck being caught in moving soil, with what appears to be a person inside the vehicle. Several individuals can also be seen attempting to reach the truck and assist in the rescue.
The incident occurred following weeks of persistent rainfall in the area and was also reported by several news agencies:
SBMA released a statement confirming the incident:
It’s location in the Google Map:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/e4be3MdPGyUUkHUBA
https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1160306
And how it looks like from Google Earth:
The accompanying Google Earth aerial photograph provides a visual reference to the location of the Tipo High-Tech Eco Park (THEP) and the extent of tree clearing and deforestation visible in the surrounding area.
Residents in the communities around Tipo Road were apparently unaware that a business activity had been awarded by SBMA to the group that developed THEP, or that a major facility was being constructed in the area. By the time residents and motorists passing along Tipo Road began noticing the site, the facility had already been erected and the landscape had undergone a significant transformation.
What we saw was, in effect, a sudden and substantial change to an area they had long known as forested and largely undeveloped. The aerial image helps place that change in context and raises legitimate questions about how the project was planned, approved, communicated to affected communities, and implemented.
While rainfall may have contributed to the failure, the public deserves an independent determination of the actual causes and contributing factors.
The investigation must establish, among other matters:
___________________________________________
READ OUR URGENT APPEAL IN FULL:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1dGROVasaJZbR3QIlTJAMFzikWf8T9XFm4ezAdAy2kwc/edit?usp=drivesdk
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Petition created on August 30, 2026