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Thursday, February 03, 2005
Guv set to create task force to monitor quarry
By Chris Navarro
* Governor Lapid stands by P30 million collection target by yearend
* Monitoring posts to be put up in strategic points to counter-check collection of extraction fees on sand and gravel
CITY OF SAN FERNANDO -- Pampanga Governor Mark T. Lapid Wednesday said he will issue this week an executive order (EO) creating a task force composed of highly respectable civic, religious and non-government organization representatives to monitor quarry operations in the province.
Lapid issued the statement after his meeting with civic and business leader Levy P. Laus of the Laus Group of Companies at the Carworld Office here last Monday.
"I told Mr. Laus that we stand by our target to collect a minimum of P30 million from quarry operations this year, and to create a monitoring task force to ensure transparency in our province," Lapid said.
"For as long as it is for the good of Pampanga, our political leaders could be assured of the support of the private sector and the business community," Laus said.
"We've decided," Lapid said, "not only to push through but also to improve on our original plan to issue an order allowing the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to establish monitoring posts in strategic points as a way of counter-checking, particularly the collection of extraction fees on sand and gravel."
Provincial Administrator Fidel Arcenas said since October last year, he has been holding a series of discussions with the DENR on the possibility of posting monitoring teams in strategic points around the province.
"Our target date for the issuance of the executive order allowing the DENR to monitor quarry operations was upon Gov. Lapid's return from his trip to the United States," Arcenas said.
"That is why," Arcenas added," when the Natural Resources Development Corporation (NRDC) proposal came out, we were surprised and we had to momentarily hold the executive order in abeyance until things cleared."
"Upon the instruction of the governor," Arcenas said, "I have met with the DENR officials yesterday (Tuesday) and they acceded to DENR's inclusion in the task force to monitor quarry operations."
In reaction to Vice Governor Yeng Guiao's statement on the possibility of reviving the NRDC proposal, Arcenas said that "there's nothing wrong with the re-filing and we will leave this matter up to the Provincial Board to decide once more if the NRDC proposal is refiled."
"But right now, I think Governor Lapid's proposal to create a monitoring task force for quarry operations, with the DENR and representatives from the civic, religious, business, non-government organizations composing it, is the best option. This will ensure transparency without necessarily allowing other national agencies to encroach upon the inherent and non-transferable powers and authority of the local government unit," Arcenas said.
(February 3, 2005 issue)
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