Iloilo probes Barotac Nuevo quarry after floods

By Mariela Angella Oladive

ILOILO CITY — The Iloilo Provincial Government Environment and Natural Resources Office has begun inspecting a quarry site in Barotac Nuevo amid concerns that its operations may have contributed to flooding in several barangays after heavy rains last week.

PGENRO chief Cesar Emmanuelle Buyco Jr. said the office had not received a formal complaint but initiated the inspection after social media posts alleged that quarry operations in the area contributed to the flooding.

“We have not received any official complaint, but I saw the post. I instructed our staff to go to the area to check it. We have identified a prospect, but they still have to verify if it is the same operator shown in the post,” Buyco said in an interview Monday, Aug. 3.

Buyco said that if the operator matches the one identified in PGENRO records, it appears to have a valid quarry permit.

He said the office would verify whether the operator was complying with the conditions of its permit, including the implementation of its approved water management program.

Buyco added that if the operator differed from the one on record, PGENRO would determine whether it had secured the necessary permits.

He said the inspection would also determine whether the quarry operations were connected to the flooding reported by residents.

“If it is indeed the quarry that caused the flooding, then there will be accountability,” he said.

Buyco reminded quarry permit holders that failure to implement environmental safeguards, including water management measures required under approved work programs, could result in the revocation of their permits.

Quarry operators in the Philippines must comply with environmental management and rehabilitation requirements under permits issued by local governments and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources, with oversight from agencies such as the Mines and Geosciences Bureau and the Environmental Management Bureau.

These requirements include erosion-control and water-management measures intended to minimize the environmental effects of extraction activities.

Residents raised concerns on social media after flooding affected parts of Barangays Sohoton, Igbong, and Tinorian.

In an Aug. 1 Facebook post, resident Jill Ostique shared photos showing floodwaters entering the home of Tessie Cusay in Sitio Bacolod, Barangay Sohoton.

“For the first time in 70 years, the home of Nanay Tessie Cusay was flooded. And not just a little—this is the deepest flood she has ever experienced,” Ostique wrote.

Ostique also said portions of Barangays Tinorian and Igbong were inundated and alleged that excessive quarrying in the mountains had weakened the area’s natural ability to absorb heavy rainfall by removing trees, loosening soil, and affecting river systems.

“We are not against development, but development should not destroy the lives of the people,” she wrote.

In a subsequent post, Ostique acknowledged the response of the Barotac Nuevo Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office, saying the office, through Mayor Bryant Paul Biron, requested a joint site inspection involving PGENRO, EMB Region 6, the MGB, and the DENR.