Business Mirror 1 Jul 14;
BLUEMAX Tradelink Inc.’s lahar sand export project in Zambales was highly commended by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) local offices in Region 3 recently.
“Bluemax’s dredging and extracting of lahar sand along Bucao River channel, one of the main river systems in Zambales now heavily silted, was sort of like a miracle for the people of Botolan, Zambales, as it is expected to decrease more incidence of floods,” said Lormelyn Claudio, director of DENR Environmental Management Bureau Region 3.
“It will also deepen the channel and will provide passage for overflowing flood waters. This project is supposed to be the work of the national government with the participation of the local government, but now private companies like Bluemax assumes all cost related to dredging and desalting, agreeing that it is just right for the government to allow Bluemax to export the lahar sand because it doesn’t need to pay private contractors to do the job and even requires Bluemax to pay taxes from the sales of the sand. It is now a very good opportunity to solve our problem with lahar sand,” explained Claudio.
Claudio clearly explained the positive impact of the project and how it went through Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) review and evaluation pursuant to PD 1586.
For his part, Reynaldo Cruz, OIC of the DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region 3, explained that Bluemax has obtained all the necessary legal procedures. “Their permit to export the lahar sand is regularly cleared by our office. Suffice to say that the whole operation is above board and legitimate,” said Cruz.
“The lahar is graded and exported by Bluemax to Singapore for its massive reclamation project meant to sustain its fast economic growth. The company was awarded the contract to provide lahar sand back in 2011,” said its president and CEO Clark Zapata.
“Before, Singapore used to import sand from other much nearer countries. But these countries stopped it due to lack of supply and issues. But blessing for us, the eruption of Mount Pinatubo left us an endless supply of lahar sand,” said Zapata.
When Mount Pinatubo erupted, endless tons of lahar sand were spewed out, thereby creating havoc up to this day in the provinces of Zambales, Pampanga, Tarlac and its surrounding areas. Whenever it rains, lahar would flow down from the mountains and would clog rivers, destroy properties and lives and bring down the local economies.
Bluemax Tradelink Inc., under Zapata, started the lahar exportation in Singapore in 2011 under the memorandum of agreement signed by Zambales Gov. Hermogenes Edejer Ebdane Jr. The removing and processing of lahar sand in different parts of Zambales were done for free.
“Bluemax is doing it practically for free to support the government and also the locals,” explained Zapata. “They used vast amounts of government funds just to remove and dredge lahar from their lands, now it’s the other way around.
“We are helping Singapore with their expansion requirements while we help improve the lives of our fellow Filipinos. We are turning deadly threats into opportunities, while helping the government earn and the Filipinos to have better lives in Zambales being the direct beneficiaries of the project.”
It also provided financial support to the socio-cultural and community programs of the local government of Botolan aside from providing employment to the locals and improving roads and other infrastructure of the province.
Aside from lahar exportation, Bluemax Tradelink is also involved in manganese ore mining.
Bluemax’s main office is at De la Rosa, Makati City, and some satellite offices in Zambales area.
