Naga stops firm from quarrying

CEBU, Philippines – Naga City Mayor Valdemar Chiong the other day issued an executive order to JLR Construction and Aggregates Inc. (JLR) directing it to temporarily suspend its quar-rying operations while it has not complied with the recommendations set by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

"We have to suspend their operations while they do their corrective measures, ug para ma-correct og dali," said Chiong.

Chiong said the firm's quarrying operations have been suspended indefinitely "until they have been given certification by the DENR that everything has been complied with."

The suspension may take days or months, depending on how fast they shall have complied with the department's recommended measures, the mayor said.

It was after the August 29 flashflood in barangay Cogon, which killed two minors, that prompted the DENR to conduct a site inspection in the area, during which it no-ticed lapses in the quarry operations of JLR.

The company operates in the upland part of barangay Cogon, just near the river where the three siblings and their grandmother were flushed by the strong current that fateful Sunday afternoon.

Siblings Chris Paran, 13, was found dead in the neighboring sitio Kandatu, Guindaruhan, Minglanilla an hour after the incident; while the body of her brother Reniel Paran, 8, was fished off in Cuaming Island, Bohol province two days later.

Their grandmother Agripina, 58, and brother Reynan, 9, who were with them for a supposed picnic, survived the tragedy.

Chiong however clarified that the suspension order was handed out not because the company was blamed for the death of the two children, but for its failure to make corrective measures on its quarry site, which should have been a continuous adherence with its DENR-issued environmental compliance certificate.

The DENR has ordered JLR to construct a water canal from the foot of a waterfall in barangay Cogon down to the Guindarohan River, where the last flashflood had occurred, and install culverts along the river.

Chiong however said the move will affect the city's revenue. JLR has been operating in that mountainous part of Naga for the last 20 years. Chiong said the order will be lifted once all that have been complied with and after the DENR shall have certified that it can operate again. (FREEMAN)