Oriental Mindoro Gov. Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor has defended a controversial sand-dredging project in Gloria town, saying the operation has secured all necessary permits and environmental assessments despite fears from residents and environmental groups who worry it may constitute disguised mining.

The project involves extracting 1.8 million cubic meters of marine sand from the mouth of Balete River for construction of the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan. 

Southern Concrete Industries Inc., operated by China Harbour Engineering Co., reportedly received a dredging clearance from the Department of Public Works and Highways’ central office in Manila last year.

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) issued an Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC) for the project, which was reviewed by at least five DENR undersecretaries and approved with the secretary’s knowledge, according to DENR records.

“Some residents and environmental groups are worried that the project might be a case of sea sand mining disguised as ‘river dredging,’” Dolor said. 

He said that if any government agency categorizes the operation as mining, he will halt the project since mining has been banned in the province since 2002.

Large-scale mining is prohibited in Oriental Mindoro until 2052, while small-scale mining is banned until 2047, according to Dolor.

Representatives from the DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and Environmental Management Bureau (EMB), present during the consultation last week, clarified that dredging does not constitute mining under Republic Act 7942, the Philippine Mining Act. Instead, it falls under separate joint memorandum circulars from DENR, DPWH and other agencies.

Dolor said project preparations began in 2019 under then-DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu, who issued department orders guiding environmental policies for river dredging as a flood mitigation solution.

“The expenses for flood mitigation projects have reached P24 billion pesos and yet flooding is not yet solved,” Dolor said. “That’s why we want to resort to dredging since no expenses will be incurred on the part of the provincial government.”

The province has already collected P781,500 in quarry tax revenue from test dredging operations, according to Provincial Administrator Atty. Earl Turano. 

Under the revenue-sharing arrangement: Barangay Balete receives 40% (P312,600); Gloria municipality gets 30% (P234,450); and the provincial government retains 30% (P234,450).

Southern Concrete has also paid the provincial government P755,000 each in processing and verification fees, plus P236,013 in monitoring fees collected through the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office.

Turano estimated that once full dredging operations begin, Barangay Balete could receive P11.25 million pesos from the navigational area work and P4.68 million pesos from river dredging activities.

The project has stirred debates among residents. 

Mario Florencondia, a Barangay Balete resident, posted on social media that contrary to claims by non-residents that the area never floods, residents experienced flooding in 1993 and 2019.

“According to legitimate residents of Barangay Balete and myself who experienced flooding, there should be river dredging in Barangay Balete to prevent worse flooding,” Florencondia wrote.

Joel Jabal posted a question via Facebook: “Hindi naman dati gumuguho ang mga pampang sa may bahaging yan ng PINAMALAYAN kahit mas malalakas na alon pa. Ngayon lang yan. Epekto banyan ng dredging sa Gloria?”

Another probing query posted by Katanggol Mong Dela Fuente: “May Confidential funds ba yang dredging? Bakit 83 pesos per cubic meter ang benta? May taxes po na 10% at monitoring fee na 5%. Sa declared na 1.8 M cubic meters sa bayan pa lang ng Gloria 110 Million na agad ang mawawala sa Oriental Mindoro dahil 500 pesos dapat ang benta. Kung totoong 38M cubic meters ang kukunin mahigit 2 billion po ang tinatapong pera. Kung lahat ng dredging sa 7 bayan daw kayo na magkwenta. Kulang na 0 ng calcu(lation) ko.”

File photo lifted from the page of Gov. Bonz Dolor Page