Mystery over hauling of Lingayen sand persists

LINGAYEN, Pangasinan—Who is behind the hauling of magnetite black sand stockpiled in Barangay Malimpuec in Lingayen town?

Villagers here want answers after they reported this week that two barges have landed near the area and have been hauling the black sand.

Larry Sison, a councilor of Malimpuec, said the hauling operations were undertaken clandestinely near the Malimpuec Capandanan River.

The area is subject to a cease-and-desist order issued in January by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) because operators there failed to secure an environmental compliance certificate (ECC).

The provincial government had contracted Xypher Builders Inc. to develop a golf course in Barangay Estanza, and had allowed it to remove magnetite black sand from a 5-hectare area, arguing that magnetite prevents grass from growing properly at the site.

Estanza is one of four villages identified by the provincial government as an ecotourism zone. The other villages are Malimpuec, Capandanan and Sabangan.

“We suspect that top government officials are behind the hauling because they are the only people who can authorize this activity,” Sison said in a telephone interview.

The Inquirer tried but failed to reach Provincial Administrator Rafael Baraan to verify if the provincial government had directed the hauling.

Joel Salvador, EMB Ilocos regional director, said the cease order also froze all hauling operations of the stockpiled black sand. “We told them to stop the operation, including the quarrying and hauling of the quarried materials,” he said.

Salvador also said that neither the provincial government nor Xypher Builders Inc. has complied with the EMB’s order to pay P50,000 in fines for quarrying without an ECC.

He said he has inquired from the DENR legal office about steps the EMB may take against the provincial government and the developer for ignoring the order.

“We should also check with the Philippine Ports Authority if there is a clearance for transporting the black sand. How are they able to ship out the materials?” he said.

Sison said the residents could not see any markings on the barges as they could not go near them. The golf course area “had been walled and a pond was made inside, around which was planted with Bermuda grass,” he said.

The quarrying of magnetite sand began in July 2011. At the time, the quarrying was undertaken by Alexandra Mining and Oil Ventures, which was issued a mining permit by the provincial government on June 29, 2011. The provincial government later canceled Alexandra Mining’s contract, and had signed a memorandum of agreement with Xypher Builders that granted the firm the right to remove black sand. Yolanda Sotelo, Inquirer Northern Luzon