SAN MIGUEL, Bulacan – Marble quarry operations at the historic Biak-na-Bato National Park in nearby Doña Remedios Trinidad town is back, but local residents here blocked four trucks hauling marble slabs.
Leocardo de Rueda, the former chairman of Barangay Sibul here told The STAR that local residents blocked and stopped on Tuesday morning four trucks hauling 10 large slabs of exotic tea-rose marble extracted from the Rosemoor Mining and Development Corp. mining site.
The mining site is located on the northern portion of the 1,117-hectare Biak-na-Bato National Park which was declared as a mineral reservation area.
“Ayaw paraanin ng mga tao ang mga truck na naghahakot ng marmol dahil tutol sila sa patuloy na pagku-quarry sa Biak-Na-Bato,” De Rueda said referring to residents of Barangay Sibul where trucks hauling marble used to pass through.
The trucks, TBK-463, CBT-769, TGA-254, and ZCP-166 with tea-rose marble slabs on board remain on hold near the Sibul barangay hall.
De Rueda said that local residents’ refusal to let go of the trucks stemmed from fear that their lives are at stake with the resumption of marble quarry operations at the mining reservation area of the national park.
He said that operators has stopped using dynamite to extract slabs of precious marble and are reportedly using chemicals.
“Lalong nangangamba ang mga kabarangay namin sa balitang gumagamit ang operator ng chemical para tibagin ang marmol,” said Deo Carreon, a local resident.
He said that in the past, residents have complained against the drying water table as a result of quarrying that damages the water aquifers.
He said that residents of Barangay Sibul depend on water that springs from a local well, which they are using for irrigation and drinking purposes.
However, there are other concerns that make locals apprehensive in the resumption of quarrying.
Fernando Galang, lay minister in a local church told The STAR that marble quarrying is not sustainable and it will leave their village open to destructive typhoons.
“Parang dingding na ng bahay namin ang bundok na kinu-quarry nila, kapag napatag iyon, tiyak na masasalanta kami ng malalakas na bagyo mula sa Pacific Ocean,” Galang said.
He added, “ang problema sa marble quarrying, kapag naubos mo yung bato, hindi na uli iyan tutubo na tulad ng punong kahoy.”
As this developed, Clarissa Fernando of Rosemoor told The STAR over the telephone that they have complied with all government requirements to resume operation.
She said that suspension of quarry operations has been lifted and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources issued them an ore transport permit in Sept. 12.
Mining operations at the Biak-na-Bato National Park was cancelled on July 2006 at the height of the province-wide campaign to save the national park.