BASCO, Batanes, Sept. 19 (PIA) — The provincial government of this island province has mandated municipal officials to strictly monitor quarrying activities within the island following the observations that non-Ivatans and project contractors extract quarry materials from the island.
Governor Marilou H. Cayco, in her memorandum addressed to the different mayors, highlighted the local ordinance prohibiting the sale of any quarry materials from the island to contractors.
“We don’t have much quarry materials in our province so we have to regulate the operation. It could not even satisfy the requirements of big infrastructure projects here,” Cayco said.
Cayco said contractors of major government infrastructure projects for the province need to transport quarry materials from mainland which causes a very high project cost.
On the other hand, should LGUs and barangays wish to quarry, Cayco said they need to secure permits first from the provincial government before they are allowed to do so. | PIA