Antipolo inundation stirs quarrying debate
‘They have been there since typhoon ‘Ondoy.’ They obtained permits from the local government unit and the DENR, such as environmental clearance certificates’
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Daily Tribune
‘They have been there since typhoon ‘Ondoy.’ They obtained permits from the local government unit and the DENR, such as environmental clearance certificates’
The recent severe flooding in Antipolo City has reignited concerns about quarrying in Rizal province.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), however, said on Tuesday that quarrying impacted less than one percent of the province’s protected areas.
DENR Undersecretary for Integrated Environmental Science Carlos Primo David said that while permits for quarrying in protected areas had been canceled, some operations continued on privately titled lands.
“They have been there since typhoon “Ondoy.” They obtained permits from the local government unit and the DENR, such as environmental clearance certificates (ECC). They have existed for decades, but their area is less than one percent of the Marikina watershed,” David noted.
“We need to look at the scale and how much quarrying there is. They can be removed, but there is also an economic impact due to the gravel,” he said.
David noted that about half of Rizal, including parts of Marikina, are designated protected areas, with the Upper Marikina watershed declared a national park where only about three percent is not covered by vegetation.
He said that over 60 percent of the protected area is free from quarrying as it is government-owned and undergoing reforestation.
In urbanized areas like Marikina and Rodriguez, some quarrying sites with permits exist, dating back to the time of typhoon “Ondoy” in 2009.
David pointed out that these sites occupy less than one percent of the Marikina watershed. He acknowledged the need to balance environmental concerns with the economic impact of quarrying.
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