Quarrying in Talisay suspended
Talisay City Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas says that quarrying operations in the city has been suspended until the city government can come up with a traffic plan to regulate and guide traffic flow of dump trucks hauling minerals to and from the quarrying sites. | CDN Digital file photo
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu Provincial government on Monday, December 6, ordered the suspension of quarrying operations in Talisay City.
This is after the Talisay City government plans to create a traffic plan to regulate and guide the traffic flow of dump trucks hauling minerals to and from quarrying sites in the city.
Mayor Gerald Anthony “Samsam” Gullas, on social media, said the traffic plan would help prevent similar tragedies like the one that happened in Barangay Lawaan 3 last December 3.
“The City will create a committee that will meet with the stakeholders involved for the traffic plan and policies concering the hauling of minerals or those covered by the issuance of a waste disposal permit issued by PENRO (Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office),” said Gullas.
According to Gullas, the committee will consist of the City Administrator, City Legal Officer, Business Process and Licensing Office (BPLO) head, heads of the City of Talisay – Traffic Operations and Development Authority (CT-TODA) and the Local Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Office (LDRRMO), city councilors namely heading committees on traffic, laws; and environment and natural resources.
The mayor said the committee, among its other tasks, would review the city’s existing traffic code.
He also said he was the one, who made a request before the Provincial Government to order quarrying sites to cease their operations momentarily.
“As regards to quarry, the authority of allowing them to operate comes from our PENRO at Capitol, not from the city government. But due to growing concerns, I met with Gov. Gwen (Garcia) to request PENRO to suspend quarry activities in Talisay City,” said Gullas.
At least five people died in the collision that involved two dump trucks, an L300 van, a modern jeep and two motorcycles along N. Bacalso Ave. in Barangay Lawaan 3, Talisay City last December 3.
Initial findings from investigators showed that the driver of the dumptruck that crashed onto the other five vehicles lost control.
The dump truck was carrying minerals from a quarrying site in one of the mountain barangays in Talisay City.
On the other hand, Gullas defended CT-TODA amid criticisms and, at the same time, hit back at critics by accusing them of politicizing the tragedy.
“First of all, I’m saddened by what happened last Friday. I’m sad that people have died. I’m sad families lost loved ones that day. Again, my condolences to the bereaved families and my prayers to all still in the hospital,” Gullas said.
“I’m also disappointed that people politicized the situation and used the deaths of the accident as political leverage…Nonetheless, our CT-TODA has done a good job in implementing our traffic laws and it will continue to do so,” he added.
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