City to check quarry, housing sites

CEBU, Philippines — Aside from the quarry operations, the Cebu City government will also look into the site developments in the upland barangays of the city to ensure the safety of the residents living the area.

Councilor Alvin Arcilla, vice chairman of the Cebu City Mining Board, said there are several housing projects implemented in the mountain areas of the city.

“Mas maayo gyud nga i-assess pod nato sa syudad ang site development sa bukid ug atong ipa-tan-aw sa MGB (Mines and Geosciences Bureau) kay naay mga bukid nga gipatag para manindot ang terrain,” he told The FREEMAN.

Councilor Eduardo Rama, for his part, agreed with Arcilla on the inspection and investigation of the site development projects in the upland areas.

Rama said there are quarry operators that are doing business in the city in disguise of site development projects.

City Mayor Tomas Osmeña ordered last Monday the 15-day suspension of the quarry operation of the lone quarry permit holder in Barangay Pulangbato.

Last week, Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu has suspended for 15 days the quarry operations in Regions 1, 3, 4A, 5, 7, 10, 11, and 13 following the massive landslide in Barangay Tinaan, Naga City that killed over 60 people.

There are several site development projects in the mountain parts of the city such as in Tisa, Punta Princesa, Pulangbato, Bacayan, Talamban, among others.

The City Council already asked officials of the barangays identified as highly-susceptible to landslide to coordinate with the MGB and the Cebu City Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office to discuss measures in alleviating the possible effects of heavy downpour.

These 19 upland barangays that are highly-susceptible to landslides are Lusaran, Binaliw, Guba, Budlaan, Malubog, Boot, Busay, Sirao, Taptap, Tagbao, Tabunan, Pung-ol Sibugay, Sudlon I, Sudlon II, Sinsin, Buhisan, Pamutan, Sapangdako, and Adlaon.

While the excavation for small-scale quarrying is still suspended throughout the Cebu Province, "corrective measures" within the quarry sites are allowed, so clarified the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO) yesterday.

It may involve the hauling and stockpiling the minerals which were already quarried prior to the issuance of the suspension order of the governor.

PENRO Chief Jayson Lozano said they issued the clarification after some permit holders complained that there are some who are still continuing operations even after the order.

“Mag-inform lang gyud sila diri nga stockpile ra ang ilang gitapok kay basin ma-misinterpret. Ang kabkab man ang gi-prohibit,” he said.

Unhauled stockpile may erode and affect those below the quarry site, if left unattended especially when it rains. Lozano explained that there may be an instance where an extraction may be allowed in sites where the cliffs are too steep.

Like in Naga City, the majority of the quarries in Cebu extract limestone minerals. It is used by various industries such as cement production and chicken pellet production.

Industries that have permits which directly supply to industry producers will be inspected first so they may resume operations as soon as possible if they pass.

"The lifting of the quarry ban is per site, not for the whole province," Lozano said.

Clearing the scope of the gubernatorial order was one of the highlights of the forum the Capitol organized for the quarry operators yesterday.

All 35 entities that hold permits were well-represented.

He added that their central office has instructed them to check their permits. Large-scale quarries, or those that have over five hectares, are regulated directly by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The DENR has given the MGB 15 days to do the inspection, while the governor has given PENRO 20 days to complete the task. — GAN (FREEMAN)