Dredger that ran aground in Zambales owned by Filipino firm

The dredger which ran aground in Botolan, Zambales last week due to bad weather is owned by a Filipino firm, even as its crew were Chinese nationals.

According to Emil Sumangil's report on "24 Oras," Z2K Resources Incorporated said the company will also soon hire Filipinos.

"It will be manned by all Filipinos. As of now, they have to transfer the technology to us, we call it shadowing, magsasabay-sabay. Gagawin niya, matututo 'yung Filipino, and then later on aalisin na namin," Pierre Gonzales, the company engineer, said.

The dredger has been pulled back to its original position at the Bucao river where it resides with two aggregates carriers or ships which carry sand.

The dredging company was also given permission by the national government to dig at the Bucao River under the River Restoration Project.

"We will dredge that river, mababalik 'yan sa dating ganda, sigla nu'ng Bucao River without cost to the government," Gonzales said.

"'Yung lahat ng tintawag nating sand, supposedly basura na sa atin, we would be selling it, meron tayong taxes. babayaran ng government," he added.

Z2K said the sand are brought to Hong Kong and Singapore. It also clarified that it is paying the government.

"We will be paying the government per shipload, [an] average of P1.6 million. On top of that meron pa kaming mga bayad sa PPA, all other port charges," Gonzales said.

"So every shipload, kikita ang government. Part of it will go to the barangay, part of it will go to the province, and to the national government," he added.

The company also denied that they were mining black sand.

"Hindi siya blacksand, its white sand. At saka dito, wala namang black sand, eh, that's one. Second, hindi pa kami nag uumpisa. Dinala namin 'yung marine assets to positioning," he said.

The residents previously complained about the dredging operations due to its negative effects on their livelihood. —Joahna Lei Casilao/LDF, GMA News