Sand exporter to Singapore lauded by Philippines Environmental Bureau

Lahar export firm lauded by DENR
Manila Standard Today 10 Aug 14

The Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ Environmental Management Bureau Region 3 Director Lormelyn Claudio has commended a lahar sand exporter.

Speaking over at radio station DZBB in the program ‘Boses Ng Balita’, Claudio said Bluemax radelink’s dredging and extracting lahar sand activity along the Zambales’ main Bucao river channel has decreased more incidences of floods.

It also deepens the channel and provides passage for overflowing flood waters, Claudio said.

“This project is supposed to be the work by the National Government with the participation of the local government, but now private companies like Bluemax assume all cost related to dredging,” explained Claudio. “It is now a very good opportunity to solve our problem with Lahar sand.”

“It is just right for the government to allow Bluemax to export the lahar sand for commercial purposes because government doesn’t need to pay private contractors to do the job and they even require Bluemax to pay taxes from the sales of the said sand,” added Claudio.

Claudio explained the positive impact of the project and that it went through Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) review and evaluation pursuant to the law (PD 1586).

For his part, Reynaldo Cruz, OIC of the DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau Region 3 said in the same radio program 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 the whole operation is above board and legitimate,” Cruz said.

The lahar is graded, processed whenever required, 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, according to its president Clark Zapata in the same program.

“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 Mt. Pinatubo left us an endless supply of lahar sand,” said Zapata.

When Mt. Pinatubo erupted, tons of lahar sand caused havoc 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.