Communities living near quarrying sites become more vulnerable to disasters.
This was the claim of a study conducted by environmental group Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (IDIS).
IDIS said that there is an increase in approvals of sand and gravel applications to meet construction requirements. There is also a “lenient system of approval for permittees having approved operators to extract resources within and near conservation areas, violating existing environmental laws of the city and threatening what are supposedly priority areas for protection,” according to the results of their study.
In a Mindanao Times report, IDIS executive director Chinkie Peliño-Golle said the extraction poses a threat to the river systems and the surrounding environment.
IDIS project coordinator Lawyer Mark T. Peñalver said Davao City’s Ordinance prohibits the “exploitation of quarry resources and commercial and sand and gravel resources” and the Watershed Code also “prohibits quarrying in conservation areas and in Agroforestry and Agricultural Non-Tillage Areas [Art. 9].”
An ordinance banning mining operations was passed on May 5, 2015, also known as “An Ordinance Closing Off the City of Davao to Mining Operations”
However, the ordinance does not include the extraction of rocks and other minerals, which are classified as “quarry resources.”
The study urges the city council to conduct a threshold capacity assessment especially for Davao and Lasang Rivers, as well as review and update the Mining Ordinance of Davao City and/or pass a separate Ordinance specifically regulating sand and gravel or non-metallic quarrying.
The group also recommends to ensure equitable benefit shared to communities in affected areas to cover environmental and social costs.
Penalver said that quarry sites could contribute to the degradation of the Davao river. IDIS had earlier recommended mitigating measures, which include rehabilitation of the riverbanks and planting of trees in the city.
Penalver added that they are closely monitoring the quarrying in the Davao river. The barangays are also leading the role in monitoring the quarry activities in the community.
