Recto says there could also be sand dredging in other parts of PH

Senate President Pro Tempore Ralph Recto on Saturday said the Senate should also look into the possibility that the recent attempt to dredge sand from a Batangas river could also be happening in other areas of the country as he stressed our own need for such kind of resources.

Recto bared his plan to file a resolution that will inquire into the sand extraction attempt of a foreign dredging vessel off the coast of Lobo, Batangas, and “if this incident is happening in other areas as well.”

Earlier, Senator Risa Hontiveros filed a resolution, calling for a Senate inquiry on the recent report to determine necessary courses of government action “to protect Philippine interests, sovereignty, and land and marine resources.”

But Recto said it was also high time to review existing policies of the government on sand and gravel quarrying, transport and sale, noting that there is a “global” shortage of sand and that local demand for the construction material is rising.

“Have we become a land reclamation material supplier? Are we exporting our sand?” Recto said in a statement Saturday.

“If our mountains have been flattened and transported ship by ship to reclaim islands, some of which are within our territory, then that is land transfer of the worst kind,” he added.

The government, he said, may consider a “no-export” policy on sand to start the inventory and review of current laws regarding such resources.

Recto said many government projects have been delayed due to the lack of construction aggregates, which also trigger the increase in construction costs.

“Six million units ang housing shortage natin (We have a housing shortage of six million units). These can’t be wiped out without sand. On farm roads alone, about 15,000 kilometers remain to be paved, and these require gravel.

Domestic construction is a P2.4 trillion a year industry, all dependent on sand, gravel, and aggregates. This is the big picture,” he said.

Citing a United Nations report, Recto also observed that sand and gravel were in “high demand worldwide” as they account for 85 percent of everything mined annually.

“And China, which accounts for half of the global demand, is like a huge sand-and-gravel suction machine,” he said.

He said several beaches and coastal areas in other countries have already been “stripped bare” of sand. It should not happen in the Philippines, Recto said.

“Under the radar lang at hindi napapansin kasi buhangin at graba lang. Hindi ginto, hindi nickel. Ang tingin ng mga tao, marami ‘yan at hindi nauubos. But that belief is wrong. These are not infinite materials,” he said.

The Philippine Coast Guard on Friday confirmed that the MV Emerald vessel that attempted to scoop out sand from the mouth of Lobo River has left the area after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) cancelled its environment compliance certificate for the dredging activity.

The local government of Lobo earlier said it did not grant the vessel the permit to operate in the area.

_{Source: news.mb.com.ph}