Sapangdaku quarry increases disaster risk

Residents of barangay Cambang-ug, Toledo City fear increased disaster risk when the rainy season comes as quarrying in the Sapangdaku river goes unabated.

Edna Juarez of sitio Proper said that a tragedy looms if the continuous digging and quarrying in the area would not stop.

Juarez, who has lived in the area for more than two decades now, told CEBU DAILY NEWS that continuous rains in the past years have triggered flooding in their barangay.

“Simbako ug naay manganak or naay masakit, lisod kaayo ilabang. If magbul-og ang tubig, tulo ka adlaw pa una mohubas. If magsige ug ulan, usa ka semana usa pa mohubas ang tubig (What if a mother is due to deliver a baby or anyone who is sick and needs to be brought to a hospital, it would be very difficult for them to cross. If the water rushes in the river, it would take three days to subside. If there’s continuous rain, it would take one week for the water to subside),” she said.

Juarez was among the 200 residents who waited for Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia to arrive last April 30 in their barangay. The governor however did not show up in the meeting.

She said that they wanted Garcia to hear their woes and pleas.

Juarez said that they have nothing against the rechanneling project but there was an agreement and guidance that the digging for the rechanneling project will only be up to two meters deep.

“Ang guidance, two meters ang pagkubkob. Naa man untay i-follow nga guideline nga duha ka metro anha sa tunga, nganong nahitabo man nga nagkubkob didto, kubkob diri? Nganong gipagamitan man ug backhoe? (The guidance is only two meter for the digging. There are certain guidelines to be followed and that includes only two meters for the digging at the center but what’s happening is they are digging here and there? Why do they have to use a backhoe?),” she said.

“Wala na gyud nila gisunod ang balaod (They are no longer following the law),” she added.

“Unsa may purpose nga ilang gitambak nga anuron man gihapon na? (What’s the purpose of the dumping if it would still be flushed out by the water?),” she added.

She also cited two incidents where three of their residents have died while crossing the river on foot.

During the undas last year, two kids got drowned while crossing the river because they fell on a deep portion in the river.

Another old woman also drowned when she also fell on a deep portion in the river and was flushed by the strong water current.

And during typhoon Ramon last year, a barangay tanod died.

Before typhoon Ramon that hit the country last year, barangay Cambangug has a steel foot bridge connecting to barangay Magdugo.

But the strong typhoon destroyed the 20-year old foot bridge that was donated by Atlas Mining Company.

Village chief, Epifanio Panugan told CDN that they have to use the barangay’s resources to rebuild another bridge.

Panugan said that they have to save up some barangay funds to finance the rebuilding.

They have allocated a total of P2 million for the concrete foot bridge.

Elvis Sobrio of Dinah Jane Construction Supply told CDN that they are building a concrete one- lane footbridge with 1.2 meter in width which hangs on a 50-meters high beam.

City Environment and Natural Resources head of Toledo City, Amador Cavan, told CDN that they have identified barangay Cambangug as a flood prone area because of the presence of the NIA dam in nearby barangay Media Once. /Carmel Loise Matus, Correspondent