ROAD ACCESS AGREEMENT. Representatives from the provincial government of Davao del Norte, Tagum Agricultural Development Company (TADECO) and the Bureau of Corrections (BUCOR) sign a memorandum of agreement on Tuesday (October 22, 2019), ending a conflict that stems from the road barriers established by the banana firm in three villages in the province. The provincial government is now allowed to open the disputed roads in Santo Tomas and Dujali towns, provided that biosecurity measures are maintained. (Photo grabbed from Secretary Manny Piñol's Facebook Page)
DAVAO CITY – The Mindanao Development Authority (MinDA) facilitated Tuesday the signing of a compromised agreement between the Davao del Norte provincial government and the Tagum Agricultural Development Company (Tadeco).
At the center of the months-long conflict is the Capitol's insistence that Tadeco's road barriers in three villages in Santo Tomas and Dujali towns are impeding the flow of people and vehicles.
Tadeco argued that the road barriers are needed to protect its biosecurity facilities and ensure that the Panama disease that has ravaged other banana plantations in Mindanao is kept at bay.
MinDA Secretary Emmanuel Piñol and a representative of the Bureau of Corrections, which own the tracts of land where Tadeco plantations are located, witnessed the memorandum of agreement (MOA) signing here between Davao del Norte Governor Edwin Jubahib and former congressman Anton Lagdameo, who represented Tadeco.
According to Piñol, the agreement was a result of two weeks of intense negotiations initiated by MinDA following a stand-off between the two parties on October 9.
Under the MOA, the provincial government is allowed to open the roads in Santo Tomas and Dujali towns on the condition that the biosecurity measures will be maintained.
The parties also agreed to jointly protect the banana industry from the Panama disease or Fusarium wilt.
The deal allowed the provincial government to designate personnel from the Provincial Agriculturist Office to monitor the compliance of biosecurity measures.
Tadeco, meanwhile, will no longer require residents a gate pass or identification cards when using the roads in question--the bone of contention for Jubahib, who considers the requirements too restrictive.
Tadeco is also prevented from establishing additional structures that would unduly obstruct the access of residents to any portion of the roads in question.
Finally, the parties also agreed to drop the counter-charges that they had filed against each other during the height of the dispute. (PNA)
