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The
Sangguniang Panlalawigan and the Environment Management Bureau
(EMB) regional office expressed grave concern over the indiscriminate
and rampant quarrying operations in the province and wanted
these areas rehabilitated.
EMB
regional director Raul de Dios told the SP and Vice-Gov. Julius
Caesar Herrera during a pre-conference Friday that after they
conducted ocular inspection on various sites in the province
they have found out hazard pose by theses quarries.
He
said these quarries posed danger because it already created
a deep ravine and overhanging cliff. EMB strongly recommended
for their (quarries) closure and necessary rehabilitation.
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One
of these quarries is the one located in Baclayon, where
Hanjin Heavy Industries Incorporated --- contractor
of the Bohol Circumferential Road Improvement Project
(BCRIP) --- used to get its earth materials for road
improvement. Another is the one in Loon town where a
known store owner is cultivating a fishpond and another
in tourist potential town of Anda where a contractor
of BCRIP got its supply of quarry.
De
Dios said that despite efforts and warning for these
quarries to stop extracting, contractors seemed so unmindful
of the danger they pose to humans and environment.
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The
provincial board was unanimous that these un-rehabilitated
quarries could adversely affect the image of tourism industry
in Bohol, said Herrera.
Board
member Felix Uy expressed concern over an unpleasant look
of a certain quarry in Baclayon town when one is looking at
it from Pamilacan island. Tourists frequent the island every
whale-watching season (February-June) of the year.
EMB
has uncovered that despite the on-going road mega-projects
being implemented, the province's coffers has not showed increase
in its income from extraction.
As
this developed, Herrera said that the SP is pushing for a
more stringent measure so that these excesses in quarrying
will be checked and put in order.
SP
Environment committee chair Godoreda Tirol was agreeable to
the proposal so that Bohol's natural environment could be
preserved and protected.
Herrera
said that the Tirol's proposed Ordinance governing small scale
mining in Bohol will be tackled the soonest time. The said
Ordinance, which stalled for second reading at the SP session,
has been referred to the Committee of a Whole chaired by Herrera.
Herrera
proposed to hold another round of a public hearing for the
stakeholders to participate in the process of making the Ordinance.
EMB
has been instrumental in the fine-tuning of the said ordinance.
Herrera
also said that in consonance with the need for environmental
protection, he has directed the special projects unit, in-charge
of the legislative drafting and research, to make a review
of the Environment Code in 1998. (RVO)
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