A Cordova resident views the private lot where excavation is underway by laborers hired by Solid Stone Center Corp. in barangay Bangbang, Cordova town, is the quarrying of “Mactan stone” authorized? (CDN PHOTO/ TONEE DESPOJO)
Several residents and fisherfolk families living in the coastal barangay of Bangbang in Cordova town have complained about the excavation of coral stone in the area.
Backhoes and jackhammers are used to drill and cut blocks of “mactan stone” from a 2.7-hectare private lot.
Residents said they fear the health effects of “chemicals” they see being used to “soften the stone” during the drilling which occurs a few meters away from a residential area.
“Ganahan gyud mi nga mahunong na sila diri kay nabalaka lang mi nga ang kemikal nga gigamit diha makadaot sa among mga anak ug pamilya,” resident Rodrigo Agacita told Cebu Daily News.
(We want them to stop operating
because we are worried about the effect of the chemicals they use on our children and families.)
He said the chemicals could affect their drinking water, which they get from ground wells.
“Sakit lang para kanamo nga ingon ani ang mahitabo sa amo lugar. Mahimo silang milyonaryo pero kami ang makaluluoy (It hurts to know that this is happening in our place. They will become millionaires at our expense),” he added.
About 400 members of the Nagkahiusang Mananagat sa Bangbang (Namasba) Inc. have petitioned the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-7) in the region to investigate the company Solid Stone Center Corp.
They said the company, a Cordova-based exporter of “mactan stone” violated terms of their Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) for the activity in purok Tres which began in April.
The ECC issued last May 5 by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB-7) states approval for a “Site Clearing and Leveling Project.”
The ECC was prepared for Ignacio Paz, president of Solid Stone Center Corp. based in the nearby barangay of Ibabao in Cordova.
The association sent thepetition to the office of Environment Secretary Ramon Paje and the regional offices of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) to oppose what residents called an “illegal operation.”
A copy was also set to Cebu Gov. Hilario Davide III and the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), the Cordova municipal government and to President Benigno Aquino III.
The petition had 422 signatures from barangay residents but Agacita said this was “snubbed’ by the DENR, Cordova Mayor Adelino Sitoy and other authorities.
Excavation
When a CDN team visited the site yesterday, workers were on lunch break.
A backhoe, empty truck and a jackhammer were on the site.
One worker said they would resume drilling at 1 p.m. until 5 p.m.
Agacita estimated the excavated portion to be two meters deep.
CDN called up the exporter’s office and was told by Tess Gimena, the office representative, that the operation was “legal and complete with documents and permits.”
She spoke in behalf of the owner, Paz, who, she said is in the United States.
She said the project has a municipal and barangay business permit, and had a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the land owner to conduct the “clearing”.
“That is not considered quarrying because we are merely levelling the land for future development. After that, we will have it backfilled and in turn increase the value of the property,” she said.
She said workers would not dig deeper than 1.5 meters.
Mactan Stone, comes from a coral species found in the island. Large deposits of the rock, which has fossilized through time, are often excavated and processed to become tiles and furniture pieces for export.
Investigation
Meanwhile, DENR-7 Public Information Officer Eddie Llamedo said the office will send a team to the site this week to investigate.
“We have not issued a quarry permit for Mactan Stone and no permittees iwere ssued by MGB 7 in Cordova. Last year, we recommended for the Province of Cebu to suspend the issuance of quarry permits until a study is completed on the Mactan Stone reserve in the entire island,” he said in a text message.
Under the Local Government Code, the govenor has the issuing authority for quarry operations below five hectares.
For larger areas, the MGB will issue the permit.
“Even if they are covered with an ECC, they are still covered by certain laws if they will transport the materials unearthed or removed there, they should get a permit to transport. If they process the stone into products, they should get a mineral processing permit,” said Llamedo.
“The ECC is not a cure-all document,” Llamedo added.
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