Posted on June 9, 2025
CALAPAN CITY, Oriental Mindoro — More environmental groups are opposing the massive dredging project touted by the provincial government here as one of the solutions to the perennial flooding problem.
The latest of such groups opposing the dredging project of the Department of Public Works and highways (DPWH) and sanctioned by the provincial government are the Koalisyon Sagip Mindoro (Coalition to Save Mindoro) and the Gloria Municipal Fisherfolks Federation that expressed their “strong opposition to the ongoing and planned massive sand mining in Barangay Balite, Gloria, Oriental Mindoro and other parts of the province.”
“What we wanted is a concrete plan for the protection of the environment where the people are part of the decision-making process in all projects impacting the environment,” the groups said in a position paper written in Filipino.
The groups said that the ongoing dredging activities in the town of Gloria had diminished fish caught by fishermen, as dredging disturbed the schools of fish and sending them away from the original fishing grounds.
The groups further claimed that the dredging activities are eroding the shorelines.
“Because of the suction of the sand, we are already seeing the continuing erosion on our coastal areas where we put our fishing boats. If the dredging continues, we will lose our place where we moor our boats. That would become another problem if we are hit again by another typhoon,” they said.
They added that the extraction activity is damaging the mangrove forest that serves as protection against strong waves and typhoons and also a breeding ground of several fish species and migratory birds.
Another group composed of businessmen, professionals, lawyers, civil society leaders said that they will join the consultation to be conducted on June 11, 2025, in Balite, Gloria.
The groups said they will present a position paper showing their take on the issue, stressing that what is happening is not dredging or river restoration but sand mining as the sand that would be dredged would be brought to the reclamation project in Manila Bay and the Bulacan International Airport.
The PGOM with the concurrence of the current Sangguniang Panlalawigan (Provincial Board) had approved a river restoration and massive dredging project aimed at addressing the flooding problem in the province.
The project identified twelve major river systems in the province that includes the Balite River.
