MANILA — Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) Undersecretary for Consumer Protection Group Ruth Castelo said the agency will ensure a stable supply of cement in order to keep up with the local demand and to stabilize prices.
She issued the statement after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) suspended quarry operations in some parts of the country following landslides in Naga City, Cebu.
The suspension includes the quarrying activity of Apo Land and Quarry Corp., which has the mining rights over the collapsed area in Naga City that caused deaths and injuries.
The company is one the principal suppliers of raw materials to Apo-Cemex Corp.
“With the Naga landslide, it affected the production of Apo, one of the biggest cement manufacturers in the Philippines. I understand, it contributes 60 percent of the national requirement,” said Castelo.
“We will not let the shortage in supply to happen. That’s what we are arresting now. More importation is possible to augment the supply, so that we will not have shortage, especially the Build Build Build Program of the government is in full swing,” she added in Filipino.
Castelo mentioned that Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez already asked the DENR to expedite the inspection and audit of quarry sites particularly those that are near to manufacturing sites of cement.
“We will keep the supply, so prices should still be the same,” she added. (Kris Crismundo/PNA)
