Baricuatro suspends quarry activities in Cebu

Local

IN RESPONSE to growing concerns over compliance and environmental impact, the Cebu Provincial Government has suspended all quarrying and disposal operations across the province for 30 days beginning July 28.

Governor Pamela Baricuatro issued the temporary moratorium on Monday to pave the way for a thorough evaluation of permits granted to operators engaged in resource extraction and waste disposal.

The move covers all Quarry Permits, Sand and Gravel Permits, and Special Disposal Permits issued by the Capitol.

Baricuatro said the initiative stemmed from mounting complaints against some quarry operations, prompting her administration to verify which firms are operating lawfully.

“We created a special review committee to conduct a comprehensive review and evaluation of all special permits issued by the Cebu Provincial Government,” Baricuatro said in a press conference at the Capitol.

“This includes quarry permits, sand and gravel permits, and the special disposal permits. We need to review kay naa man gud complaints sa ubang quarry operations and we need to review kung kinsa gyud ni nga operators and kung compliant ba,” she added.

The Special Review Committee will be headed by Assistant Provincial Administrator Aldwin Empaces.

It includes representatives from several key offices: Atty. Guiller Ceniza of the Provincial Legal Office, Provincial Treasurer Atty. Roy Salubre, Executive Assistant Atty. Kevin Dimsay of the Governor’s Office, and Rodel Bontuyan, head of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO).

The committee is tasked with scrutinizing all active permits, specifically to determine whether operators have stayed within their authorized extraction volumes and met all conditions set by their permits.

The review will also check if these activities align with the Cebu Provincial Revenue Code and existing environmental regulations. On-site inspections will form part of the validation process.

At the end of the 30-day suspension, the committee is expected to present its findings and recommend appropriate actions.

These may include lifting the suspension for compliant firms or imposing penalties on violators.

Baricuatro said the committee may suggest extensions of the suspension, revocation of permits, or the imposition of fines and legal action where warranted.

Provincial agencies and offices have been directed to fully cooperate with the review. Baricuatro’s order requires departments to grant access to all documents, records, and personnel relevant to the evaluation.

Implementation of the suspension will be led by PENRO and other enforcement offices, which are authorized to apprehend non-compliant operators and file appropriate charges.

According to Bontuyan, 10 companies currently hold quarry permits, while nine others operate under special disposal permits granted by the Capitol.

“Quarry permits its purpose is really to extract or remove specific materials for specific purpose para gamiton for construction or whatever… special disposal permit is [for the] products of activities nga dili na gamiton sa ilahang for example site developments,” Bontuyan explained.

He said the governor’s order does not affect traders, including hardware stores, of these materials since they are not directly involved in extraction.(MyTVCebu)