Posted on July 21, 2025
Oriental Mindoro, finds itself at a crossroad as the local government pushes for a “cost-free” solution to flooding while some oppose the extraction of river sand, pointing out that it is commercial sand mining.
The province, 140 kilometers southwest of Manila, has a land area of 436,472 hectares, comprising 1.5 percent of the land area of the Philippines and 16 percent of the region, which is composed of five provinces.
Based on data from the local government, most, or 357,900 hectares, of Oriental Mindoro are wetlands, rich fertile valleys, and mountainous areas. Almost 40,000 hectares are coastal and lake areas.
The province has 15 towns, and 93.33 percent of which are close to or on the coast, including Gloria, which took the center stage when the local government proposed a river restoration project to mitigate flooding.
As pointed out by the PCD, or Pacific Disaster Center, in its assessment of Oriental Mindoro in 2021, 84 percent of the population, or 715,898 people, are susceptible to floods.
The recurring problem is so serious that the PCD stated in its National Disaster Preparedness Baseline Assessment that flooding could devastate the province and leave P120.06 billion worth of damage.
So in 2023, Gov. Humerlito Dolor requested the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to pass a resolution supporting the restoration and large-scale dredging of Balete River, which covers these six barangays:
As stated in a document from the region’s Environmental Management Bureau, the main purpose of the dredging project is to increase the capacity of discharge flowing and to minimize the amount of silt accumulated in the river’s mouth.
The mouth of the river is where it empties into a larger body of water, like an ocean.
The “operations shall be done by simple, straightforward dredging and haul out of dredged materials” and “this process will be repetitive until the maximum desired riverbed elevation is attained.”
As explained in the document, “there will be no on-site processing for offshore dredging as the dredged materials shall be loaded directly from the dredging vessel to the mother vessel that is anchored offshore for the deeper part of the river.”
This is a strategic alternative, offering the local government a “sustainable, cost-free solution,” Dolor said, stressing that despite spending P24 billion in flood-control projects, the problem has persisted.
However, some say it is not free.
Still paid
The project, which has Southern Concrete Industries Inc. as proponent, is expected to extract 1.8 million cubic meters of sand from the Balete River, and as stated in the document, “cost recovery [is] through the sale of dredged materials.”
Once extracted, the sand will be brought to San Miguel Aerocity, an economic zone in Bulacan, by China Harbor Engineering Co. for the construction of the New Manila International Airport.
The project cost is P309.91 million.
However, while Dolor stressed that the project passed all the required environmental assessments and has every permit required by law, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan rescinded its previous resolution.
Through Resolution No. 7768-2025, the Southern Concrete Industries Inc., China Harbor Engineering Co., and San Miguel Holdings Corp. were directed to “immediately cease and desist” from extracting, transporting, selling, or disposing of sand.
It declared that the dredging of sand, whether done in the pretense of river restoration or formal permitting, can result in “grave and irreparable injury” to marine ecosystems, agriculture, coastal stability and tourism.”
As stated by the United Nations Environment Programme, “extracting sand where it plays an active role, such as rivers, and coastal or marine ecosystems, can lead to erosion, and even salination of aquifers.”
The dredging of sand can diminish protection against storm surges and serious impacts on biodiversity, which pose a threat to livelihoods through water supply, food production, fisheries, or to the tourism industry.
Not worth the risk
The concern in Gloria is the same in Calapan City and Pinamalayan, which already expressed reservations over the extraction of sand from their respective waters, with Calapan City pointing out in May that dredging and sand mining are dangerous.
“The irreversible environmental and social harm caused by unregulated dredging and sand mining far outweighs any short-lived economic gain,” the Sangguniang Panlungsod said.
As stated by Earl Turan, legal officer of Oriental Mindoro, income from operations can benefit local communities, saying that Barangay Balete could receive P11 million from services in the navigational dredging zone and P4.6 million from river dredging.
Likewise, Dolor committed to providing employment for some residents in Balete should the river dredging operations begin, easing fears that the project would impact people’s livelihood.
However, Evelyn Cacha, chairperson of Mindoro Forum Network, stressed in one consultation led by the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, that in a project, everyone should be involved as there should be “social acceptability.”
This, as she pointed out that sometimes, proponents only make promises to convince the people to let them do what they want: “Magaling po minsan ang mga project proponent, magpapaliwanag sa matatamis at masasarap na pangako.”
Back in 2020, the region’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau started the identification of river dredging zones of nine priority rivers in Oriental Mindoro in line with the implementation of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ project.
Some of the rivers evaluated were Mag-asawang Tubig River in Naujan leading to Brgys. Estrella and San Antonio; Bucayao River in Calapan leading to Brgy. Silonay; Alag River leading to Brgy. Water in Baco; and Baco River leading to Brgy. San Andres.
The rest were Balete River; Bongabong River in Bongabong leading to Barangay Anilao; Wasig River leading to Barangay Wasig in Mansalay; Mansalay River leading to Barangay Poblacion; and Cagankan River leading to Barangay Don Pedro, Mansalay.
As pointed out by the Koalisyon Sagip Mindoro and the Gloria Municipal Fisherfolks Federation, the people need a concrete plan for the protection of the environment where residents are part of the decision making process.
