CEBU, Philippines - Mines and Geosciences Bureau-7 Regional Director Roger de Dios suspected that the road opening project in Consolacion town is also used for quarrying.
This after the extraction of limestone still continues despite a series of cease and desist order issued against the municipal government to stop the alleged illegal quarrying operations from the road opening project in the town.
De Dios said that they have been receiving reports that transport of limestone from barangay Garing is still ongoing despite the agreement that the operation must be stopped until the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office will issue a gratuitous permit.
Limestone is said to being used in the ongoing construction of the town's government center in barangay Nangka.
But De Dios said that they doubt it since they have caught the town once transporting quarried limestone to Mandaue City. “So it is not merely for the government center.”
“They are transporting without quarrying permit. They are not following proper procedure since the mayor should have applied first for a permit to dispose excess of a government project before he can transport the limestone to another place,” de Dios said.
“We have agreed with the PENRO that Consolacion will not be issued the gratuitous permit until it will be able to secure an Environmental Compliance Certificate for that government center project,” he added.
MGB is appealing to LGUs to follow the procedures on mineral disposition.
The bureau has also recently ordered the municipality of Compostela to stop issuing special hauling permits allowing some private individuals to transport minerals from the town without its permission.
In earlier interviews, De Dios said all mineral disposition operations must be first consulted with the MGB. - Jessica Ann R. Pareja/LPM (THE FREEMAN)