By Hilda Austria/ PNA
SAN FABIAN, Pangasinan — The National Irrigation Administration (NIA), Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) in Region 1 (Ilocos), among other agencies, have agreed to regulate quarrying in this town to ensure strict implementation of laws and sustainable development.
Oscar Navata, NIA-1 public relations officer, said the agreement was made following the result of an ocular inspection done for the rehabilitation here of Binday dam, which was destroyed by flash floods during the onslaught of Typhoon Ompong last September.
“Malaking factor ang illegal quarrying kung bakit nasira ang dam. (Illegal quarrying is a big factor to the destruction of the dam) We are not against quarrying but it should be regulated according to the laws,” he said during the Tongtongan ed PIA (Philippine Information Agency) forum on Wednesday.
Navata said the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board confirmed illegal quarrying activities in the town.
He noted that based on the law, quarrying should be done 1,000 square meters away from facilities, such as dams.
The Binday dam was 97 percent rehabilitated when the flash flood happened.
“The rehabilitation of the dam was funded with PHP100 million by Japanese Agency for International Cooperation (JAICA) and the national government. To rebuild it again, we need to ask for another funding and one of the requirements is to ensure the stability of the structure amid calamities, such as flash flood, in line with sustainable development,” Navata said.
The dam provides water irrigation to the towns of San Fabian, San Jacinto and Manaoag with 2,026 hectares of land by over 5,000 farmers.
“The local government units of the three towns are very cooperative with the proposed regulation. We hope that it would materialize soon,” he added.
