In Tanjay City Dredging project cover for black sand mining?

DUMAGUETE CITY, Philippines — Local officials and residents in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental are now at odds over a proposed multi-million peso dredging project at the mouth of the Tanjay River and nearby shorelines, which opposition groups accused as a "cover-up" of mining operations for magnetite, commonly known as black sand.

The Anti-Abuse and Corruption (ABUCOR), a non-government organization in Tanjay City, has initiated a signature campaign calling for an investigation of what they claimed as an illegal mining activity that posed danger to inhabitants with a threat of destruction of coastal and marine resources.

In last Monday's regular session of the City Council, opposition Councilor Juanito Condes was about to present a petition signed by at least 600 residents calling for the scrapping of the project to be undertaken by a foreign company. However, this was moved to September 24 after those invited to attend the session to shed light on the matter failed to appear.

The no-show resource persons were City Administrator and City Legal Officer Arnel Vibar, Barangay Chairman Serafin Catacutan of Poblacion 4, Ely Alcala of the Silliman University's Angelo King Center for Research and Environmental Management and Albert Golez, a representative of the Sino-Italy Construction Philippines, Inc., contractor of the dredging project.

Sino-Italy, reportedly based in Bacolod City of Negros Occidental, had entered into a memorandum of understanding with the Tanjay City LGU, represented by Mayor Lawrence Teves, shortly after the May 13 polls, to undertake a cost-free massive dredging project.

Condes, a retired police official, assailed the MOU, saying that the effects of the planned dredging will bring more destruction than benefits to the constituents and the environment. He alleged that the project is just a front of mining of black sand, which he said is abundant in the area covered by the project.

The councilor also questioned the legality of the documents behind the project, noting some discrepancies such as the absence of a copy of a duly signed MOU between the LGU and Sino-Italy and an unsigned barangay resolution endorsing the project. Unless the documents are in order and that requirements have been complied with, the dredging project is illegal even if it has the authority of the City Council, he said.

The MOU stipulated that the materials ought to be removed are considered excess materials and no longer needed, and that Sino-Italy is legally bound to allow to dredge and dispose at least 15 million metric tons of dredged materials.

The petitioners from ABUCOR said magnetite mining involves the suctioning of million of tons of sand from the sea bottoms and screening these for magnetic ore, wherein 90 percent of the sand could be damaged. They said that removing the magnetic ores, which hold the sand together and balance the temperature of both sand and water, would damage the quality of sand and temperature of the waters.

This black sand extraction could result in the suspension of sediments that would cause damage to coral reefs and sea grass ecosystems, coastal erosion as well as damaging the fishing grounds, they said, adding that this will destroy coastal resources and expose the lives and properties of residents in the area to extreme danger, more so that the surrounding villages are flood-prone areas.

Mayor Teves however downplayed ABUCOR's petition as politically motivated having been initiated by a defeated candidate for councilor in the recent election. He explained the importance of the dredging project, saying that unless it is carried out, Tanjay City will be "submerged" in flood waters in the coming months or years when a strong typhoon hits the city.

Teves said heavy siltation has formed at the river mouth, causing the river to overflow and endangering at least ten or more villages. Flooding in Tanjay City has become unprecedented over the past few recent years, and the pact with Sino-Italy is for the company to undertake the dredging at no cost to the LGU.

Considering that the LGU does not have the money, at least P300 million, to spend for the dredging, the foreign contractor will be allowed to extract the magnetite from the dredged materials while waste materials will be used for the city's planned reclamation of 30 hectares at the seaport, Teves said.

It is a fair arrangement that would benefit both parties as well as the constituents of Tanjay City, said the mayor who, as chair of Unit 1 of the Protected Area Management Board (PAMB), deemed the setup as a gamble to allow Sino-Italy to dredge about 19.5 hectares of silted shorelines including the mouth of the river.

Teves said this is "like hitting three birds with one stone." The mouth of the river is dredged for free, saving the city of millions of money and averting floods as a result.

"To be fair to Sino-Italy, it will get the magnetite to recover the expenses it will incur in the dredging project, Teves said, adding that all requirements should be accomplished first before it can start.

He further assured the public that the company had already acquired an environmental compliance certificate from the DENR. (FREEMAN)