Loay river sand quarry illegal - BEMO head

A sand extraction activity about a kilometer upstream from the Loay bridge jump-off point of the now gathering fame Loay Floating Cruises is un-permitted, so illegal, says Bohol Environment Management Office (BEMO) head Rene Villaber in an interview recently. According to Villaber, if there have been operations in the area, then Task Force Kabukiran, which has been organized to monitor activities adverse to the vision of protecting the environment here should get that. The Task force stationed at the BEMO, according to a Memorandum dated August 7, 2001 has the principal mission of regulating the establishment and operation of sand and gravel quarry sites and enforcement of regulation forces for the extraction activities. From the BEMO however, Governor Erico Aumentado has transferred the administrative control and supervision of the Task Force to the Provincial Treasurer's Office by virtue of an executive Order in July 12, 2004. The transfer has also alienated the BEMO from the monitoring activities, which has been centered at the PTO whose head also chairs the Task Force. The transfer may have slackened the monitoring activities of the Task Force who could not concentrate on monitoring illegal quarry activities, it being just one of the many tasks the PTO has to perform, Villaber said.

The subject illegal sand extraction activity has been reported by tourism industry stakeholders as operating right where tourists of the floating cruises get a glimpse of the blatant attempt to dent on nature. It may be recalled that Governor Erico Aumentado has cancelled some river sand extraction activities in Bohol years ago so as to start regulating the gathering of prime building supply materials in river sands. Adversely affected were sand extraction concessions along Abatan River in Cortes. As to the Loay extraction, Villaber supported by his BEMO staff said that Loay has only one permitee, a certain Galicano Refulle.

According to BEMO authorities, the Refulle concession is in fact a river dredging activity to deepen the river channel and allow fishing boats to dock at the Loay fish-port. The area concerns the point of the port downstream to the deltas of the Loboc-Loay River. BEMO records reveal that there is a pending application for sand extraction permit filed by a certain Isidoro Cesar of Poblacion Ibabao, in Loay, but that has not been granted a permit due to the governor's suspension order. The application was dated July 9, 2006. BEMO said the pending application already has the barangay clearance from Tambangan, a Protected Areas Management Board resolution signed by a Ronilo Macalolot, Acting presiding Officer and corresponding Sangguniang Bayan resolution. However, the governor has not granted the permit. The issue came out when tourism stakeholders raise alarm over the claim that Bohol has been vigilant in its environment protection program, it being the pioneer in crafting the Environment Ordinance of the country. But with the apparent lapse in the environmental law enforcement, enterprising persons here have secretly cashed in on nature to the jeopardy of the environment, which bears the brunt of abuse.

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