Bonbon village chief admits quarrying at Mananga river

The chairman of the mountain barangay of Bonbon in Cebu City admitted to extracting sand from the Mananga river without appropriate permits from the Cebu City government.

“Kasagaran sa mga project diri sa bukid, dira sa sapa sa barangay Bonbon mi magkuha ug bas ug graba. Okay ra nga sirad-an na nato, but ang mga project sa gobyerno diri sa bukid, walay makuhaan (We get sand and gravel from the river in barangay Bonbon for most projects here in the mountain areas. It’s okay if we close that, but we won’t have a source for the projects here in the mountain areas),” Bonbon barangay chairman Eduardo Cabriana said.

Last week, Vice Mayor Edgardo Labella inspected the area near the Bonbon bridge and discovered small-scale sand extractions done by some of the barangay’s residents.

Labella also sent a letter to Cabriana asking him to explain the alleged illegal sand extraction which involved him. Cabriana has yet to answer the letter.

The vice mayor wanted the operations to stop, saying it can affect the structural integrity of the new bridge used by residents, especially students who used to wade through the river just to get to school.

Illegal

Even the newly opened Bonbon bridge had some of its sand and gravel from the portion of the Mananga river within the barangay, Cabriana said.

In his letter, Labella explained that quarrying widens the river and eventually dries it out and will cause problems to people who get water from the river for their own consumption as well as for their livestock and crops.

“Please understand that I make noise only when the threat to public safety, livelihood and public welfare is real and imminent, such as the one confronting Bonbon,” Labella said in his letter.

“Your office’s action is the City’s action as well, and vice versa. Let us help one another put a stop on any illegal quarrying or excavating going on in Cebu City’s rivers to preserve, needless to say, a cause that will outlive even us, present officials,” he added.

Cabriana said they’re not really quarrying from the river.

Livelihood

Instead, they are just collecting the sand that is washed down from the higher areas of the river.
Cabriana said he will heed the city government’s order to stop the extraction, which also serves as the source of livelihood for several residents who sell the sand for P25 per sack.

“Pwede nato na ipa-stop. Ang ato, naa lang untay mahatag nga kinabuhi an and City Hall sa mga tao. Luoy ang mga tao diri sa bukid (We can stop it. I just hope that City Hall can provide alternative means of livelihood to the people who lead difficult lives here in the mountains),” Cabriana said.

He said people can resort to farming and growing fruits, vegetables or flowers but they can’t afford to buy fertilizers. He said this is one way the city government can assist them.

“Naa lagi koy negosyo ug ginansiya sa pamaligya ug bas gikan sa sapa, pero ako nang gibalik sa mga tao (I may have a business and profit from selling sand from the river but I give it back to the people),” Cabriana said.

He said he uses his personal money to give burial assistance to indigents in his barangay. He also gives assistance to those who need to go to the hospital.

Election protest

His honorarium from the City Hall even go to his constituents and it’s still not enough.

Cabriana, a first termer barangay chairman, said the extraction of sand from the river has been going on since the tenure of former city mayor Alvin Garcia.

He said he wonders why he is being pressured to stop the sand extraction when the previous barangay chairman has been allowed to do so.

Cabriana is not a Team Rama ally. The former captain Alex Ibarita, who ran against Cabriana last year but lost, is Rama’s ally.

Ibarita filed for an election protest against Cabriana and a Metropolitan Trial Court in Cities decision said Ibarita won.

However, Cabriana said they appealed the decision.

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