Dueñas, PENRO to limit sand, gravel quarrying

ILOILO – With the backing of the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), the municipal government of Dueñas is limiting sand and gravel quarrying in its turf.

The decision aims to protect the town’s roads that trucks loaded with quarried sand and gravel use.

PENRO won’t temporarily issue quarry permits covering Dueñas, said Atty. Arturo Cangrejo, office chief.

Cangrejo and Dueñas’ Mayor Mamerto Pelopero came to an agreement during a meeting on Aug. 31.

“As of now may ara kita 15 permits for Dueñas. We would like to limit them sa amo lang na anay nga numero,” said Cangrejo.

The load carrying capacity of roads in Dueñas may not be enough for more cargo trucks transporting sand and gravel, he stressed.

Only when the permits of any of the 15 current permittees in Dueñas expire would PENRO issue new quarry permits.

In the whole province, PENRO had issued 44 permits for commercial sand and gravel quarrying, and 13 permits for industrial sand and gravel quarrying.

Cangrejo said Dueñas quarry permitees came up with a memorandum of agreement on Feb. 5, 2018 to conduct road maintenance from Barangay Capuling to Barangay Cabudian where their trucks pass.

“Ang pag-maintain sang aton dalan obligasyon man kag responsibilidad ina sang atonpermit holders,” said Cangrejo.

In a related development, the PENRO chief said they were currently looking for new quarry sites following observations that they delay in many Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) projects in Iloilo was due to the “insufficiency of aggregates” such as sand and gravel.

In July, Gov. Arthur Defensor Sr. said he would form a task force to study an option – mountains as alternative to rivers for quarrying sand and gravel.

DPWH region director Wenceslao Leaño Jr. said P1-billion worth of infrastructure projects would be implemented in Iloilo. He warned of further delays if the dwindling supply of sand and gravel was not addressed.

In Iloilo alone, he said, contractors may need 329,621 cubic meters of sand and 537,722 cubic meters of gravel to complete infrastructure projects this year.

DPWH-6 would also need 162,207 cubic meters of boulders and 566,341 cubic meters of sub-base course, added Leaño.

SOURCE: Panay News

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