MikeLigalig.com

By Saul E. Pa-a
PNA

President Benigno Aquino III ordered Monday the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to look into reports of illegal quarrying at the foot of Mt. Banahaw in Sariaya, Quezon.

Mt. Banahaw is one of the country’s protected landscapes along with Mt. Makiling and Mt. San Cristobal and the Taal Volcano landscape in the Calabarzon Region.

Addressing the newsmen’s interview, the President said the DENR has conducted monitoring on Mt. Banahaw’s reported quarrying activities but the multi-partite monitoring team only conducts the surveillance on a quarterly basis.

Aquino directed the DENR to conduct the probe on quarrying within the purview of the provincial or local government in accordance with the local government code.

The DENR denied illegal quarry at the foot of the protected mountain saying there is only one active and legal gravel operations along the Lagnas and Janagdong Rivers in Sariaya.

The extraction permits were issued by the Quezon Provincial Government through the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB) and the DENR Calabarzon.

According to the report, the Mine Rehabilitation Fund Committee (MRFC) and the Multipartite Monitoring Team (MMT) covering the sand and gravel extraction and crushing plant operations were already operationalized.

Besides monitoring on a quarterly basis, the MRFC also meets quarterly to tackle issues and concerns arising from the findings of the MMT.

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