Oriental Mindoro SP Orders Stoppage of Sand Dredging Operations, but Gov. Dolor Says No

The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of Oriental Mindoro has temporarily suspended all sand dredging operations in the province following mounting pressure from environmental groups and residents who claim the activities constitute illegal mining disguised as flood mitigation projects.

Vice Governor Atty. CA Jojo Perez announced the suspension during a Joint Committee hearing on July 8, 2025, attended by law enforcement officials and environmental experts who tackled the controversial operations in Gloria town.

“So pending investigation, lahat na andyan ang mga expert, mga environmentalist, andyan ang ating different agencies habang pinag-aaralan wala pong dredging muna sa lalawigan ng Oriental Mindoro. I hope that is clear,” Perez declared during the session.

Vice Governor Perez sought assurance from law enforcement agencies present at the hearing, directly addressing the Philippine National Police and Coast Guard: “Ang gusto ko lamang ma-assure sa ating PNP at Coast Guard sa lahat ng inyong narinig, kayo ba pag may nagpunta doon na barko na magdredge dahil kayo naman, Coast Guard at police, papayagan niyo ba?”

The vice governor said that the suspension would remain in effect while investigations continue, with various experts, environmentalists, and government agencies studying the implications of the operations.

Under Perez’s HERO Legislative agenda, environmental protection has been identified as a priority.

The suspension comes after Fritz Bandelow, a foreign geologist residing in Mindoro serving as a resource person at the committee hearing, categorically said that the dredging operations constitute mining activities rather than environmental restoration.

“If you are dredging, like in Manila Bay, you are dredging sand to do reclamation, that’s a mining or maybe a quarrying process. Because it’s for commercial use, you are somehow lifting up natural resources and you are selling it, that’s commercial, that’s why it’s mining,” geologist Bandelow testified.

During the hearing, Perez revealed that only “test dredging” operations had been conducted four times in the province, contradicting earlier claims about the scope of activities.

The vice governor expressed uncertainty about future plans, stating that the provincial administrator “hindi daw niya alam kung ano ang balak gawin ng mga kumpanya na yan sa bayan ng Gloria.”

The provincial board resolution specifically mentions the extraction and transportation of “black sand, magnetite and other resources” from Oriental Mindoro waters, suggesting the operations extend beyond simple flood mitigation to include valuable mineral extraction.

The provincial board had earlier passed a resolution on July 1, 2025, directing several companies to cease operations.

The resolution specifically targets Southern Concrete Industries, Inc., China Harbor Engineering Company, San Miguel Aero City, and San Miguel Holdings Corp., along with “their Board of Directors and Officers, and all their agents, assigns or partners, to immediately Cease and Desist from dredging, extracting and transporting black sand, magnetite and other resources in the waters of Oriental Mindoro.”

The operations in Gloria town’s Balete River target 1.8 million cubic meters of marine sand sold by Capitol to the constructors of the New Manila International Airport in Bulacan.

While the vice governor and provincial board invoke legislative oversight powers, Dolor asserts executive authority over permitted development projects.

The operations in Mindoro have been conducted under permits issued following a 2019 Department Order by former DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu, which outlined best practices for river dredging as a flood mitigation measure.

However, large-scale and small-scale mining remain banned in Oriental Mindoro under provincial ordinances.

The resolution orders cessation of activities “until further notice and pending investigation in aid of legislation by the SP on the complaints against the large-scale dredging project, the position of the proponent/contractor and other stakeholders.”

Despite opposition from environmental groups and fisherfolk fearing about coastal erosion and habitat damage, Governor Humerlito “Bonz” Dolor maintains that the dredging is legal, beneficial, and necessary to address decades of flooding.

The governor’s stance directly contradicts the provincial board’s suspension order, creating a political and legal crisis over authority and jurisdiction.

Governor Dolor has firmly defended the operations and directly challenged the provincial board’s authority to halt the project.

“They do not have the right to stop the dredging… Mining is different from dredging,” Dolor blasted, noting that all necessary permits and environmental assessments have been secured.

The governor maintains that the dredging operations are part of a legitimate flood mitigation and river restoration program, distinct from mining activities which remain banned in the province until 2052 for large-scale operations.

He stressed that the project holds all required permits, including a dredging clearance from the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) and an Environmental Clearance Certificate from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR).

The controversy prompted Board Member Emmanuel Buenaventura to deliver a privilege speech on July 1, 2025, calling for investigation into the dredging activities.

The subsequent joint committee hearing was conducted under the framework of Batas Pambansa Blg. 265 and the Philippine Mining Act of 1995.