Lawmaker wants all quarrying permits in Rizal cancelled

Metro Manila, Philippines – House Assistant Minority Leader Rep. Arlene Brosas has urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to cancel quarrying permits and land conversion in Rizal.

Brosas pointed out that such activities resulted in the widespread flooding and landslides during the onslaught of Severe Tropical Storm Enteng (international name: Yagi).

"The massive environmental destruction and plunder of the Upper Marikina Watershed by mining and quarrying interests have left communities vulnerable to flooding and landslides," she said in a statement on Sunday, Sept. 8.

"Ito mga pagbaha noong nakaraan ay hindi natural disaster tulad ng sinasabi ng gobyerno - ito ay masasabi nating man-made catastrophe. Dapat ipatigil na ito ng gobyerno at mga lokal na pamahalaan," the lawmaker said.

[Translation: The recent floods are not natural disasters, contrary to what the government said. We can say that this is a man-made catastrophe. Damaging activities should be stopped by the national and local governments.]

NewsWatch Plus reached out to the DENR for comment, but has yet to respond.

Some Rizal officials, however, denied that floods were caused by quarrying and deforestation, explaining that Enteng’s rains were exceptionally heavy.

https://www.newswatchplus.ph/news/2024/9/3/rizal-flood-not-deforestation.html

Last week, the Department of Public Works and Highways said that the government is planning to build three dams in the Upper Wawa Dam in Rodriguez, Rizal to mitigate floods.

Enteng left 20 people dead – at least seven from Rizal – after being buried by landslide or drowning.