Quarrying not cause of Naga flashflood?

CEBU, Philippines - To avoid more flash floods in the future, Governor Gwendolyn Garcia yesterday said she is willing to sit down with the concerned stakeholders to discuss the recent flooding in Naga that caused the death of two siblings and nearly killed their older brother and grandmother. 

This as the Mines and Geosciences Bureau, in its initial investigation, pointed to abnormal or unusual heavy rain as the cause of flooding and not due to quarry operations conducted by JLR Construction Aggregates Inc. and its contractor.

It was learned that the operator of the quarry site was not a licensee of the provincial government but of the Bureau of Mines and Geosciences Bureau of the DENR-7. Garcia however said she is willing to sit down with the parties concerned if Naga Mayor Valdemar Chiong calls for a meeting with Cogon barangay officials, residents, the quarry operator and representatives of the MGB.

In a press statement, MGB said initial results of the investigation conducted by Senior Science Research Specialist Abraham Lucero of the Geosciences Division and Mine Safety and Health Section Chief Romeo Patalinghug show that the area where the flooding happened has a kind of soil that is slow in absorbing water.

“The area is mostly volcanic rocks characterized by its impermeability to absorb water,” the agency explained.

Despite this, MGB-7 director Loreto Alburo said they will revisit the approved annual environmental Protection and Enhancement Program of JLR if there are provisions there that have not been fully implemented and violated.

“I will be convening the Mine Rehabilitation Fund Committee consisting of the Mayor of the City of Naga, officials of the JLRCAI, NGOs, and EMB-7 immediately after the report from our technical personnel shall have been submitted to me so that we’ll be able to discuss and reach a decision on the possible recommendations and possible sanctions depending on the merits of the findings,” Alburo said in a press statement.

Meanwhile, Garcia also said immediate help in form of goods was immediately sent to the family of the victims and on Tuesday afternoon she also signed the proposal giving P5,000 cash assistance to each victim.

It was learned that Agripina Paran and her grandchildren were swept away by the flood while crossing the spillway that was built by the quarry operator. The road where the victims passed was reportedly not a barangay road but a “service road” built by JLR.

Capitol spokesperson Rory Jon Sepulveda said before the incident took place, the victims were already cautioned not to cross the creek but they did not heed and were swept away by the rushing water.

Reports had it that Agripina Paran together with her three grandchildren were crossing the Guindarohan River last Sunday afternoon when a sudden flush of waters hit them.

Agripina and 12-year-old Reynan managed to hold on to the rocks but 13-year-old Chris was later found dead a kilometer away while their 8-year-old sibling was found dead Tuesday morning in an islet in Cuaming, Bohol. – THE FREEMAN