Environment Secretary Roy Cimatu said the quarrying operations in Naga City cannot be directly blamed for the tragedy, as this has been existing site before a community emerged.
“The quarry site is at an isolated area, but many moved in because of the workers, until it became vulnerable to landslide,” he said.
He said that quarrying activities in Naga nonetheless would remain suspended until a team from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau releases its assessment of the geohazard condition of the area.
Last Thursday, Cimatu ordered the lifting of the suspension in 90-percent of the country’s quarrying operations, citing fears that a continued ban would trigger increases in prices of construction materials.
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) chief, however, clarified that the suspension of quarry and mining activities remains enforced at the sites of the deadly landslides in Naga City in Cebu province and Itogon in Benguet.
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