Quarrying in Zambo City village ordered stopped

A quarrying operation in Zamboanga City was ordered halted Thursday after Mayor Isabelle Climaco-Salazar personally saw the environmental damage it caused.

The quarrying operation at Pulang Lupa in Barangay Patalon was found to be illegal as it lacked the needed permits, according to a post on the mayor's Facebook page Friday.

"The trees on the mountainside are almost uprooted and the water from the river exits through the narrow pathways," the Facebook post said.

Climaco-Salazar also ordered city legal officer Atty. Jesus Carbon to conduct a thorough investigation of the quarrying activities.


On Thursday, the mayor inspected the area along with Zamboanga Economic Zone and Freeport Authority Chairman Christopher Arnuco, Patalon barangay chairman Gaudencio Rojas and Labuan Police Station Commander Senior Inspector Raymond Sanson.

Barangay residents had complained about the rampant quarrying activities in the area.

Also, Climaco-Salazar ordered the Labuan police to assign personnel to the area to monitor quarrying and arrest those in such activities.

For his part, Barangay Patalon chairman Rojas said he will also assign barangay tanods to guard the area.

The city government stressed it has not issued permits or renewed the permits of any individual to conduct quarrying in the area.

Rojas also said the barangay council has visited the area and ordered the suspension of operations last April.

“(Those engaged in quarrying) were asking for the renewal of their permits but they were told to do some rehabilitation before they can apply for renewal. The call (for rehabilitation) was unheeded and the destruction was aggravated," he said. — Joel Locsin/LBG, GMA News