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Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Guv to natural resources firm: Refile proposal
By Albert B. Lacanlale
* State-owned firm vows to send proposal within 72 hours
* Governor says province would study viability of NRDC offer
QUEZON CITY -- The Natural Resources Development Corporation's (NRDC) proposal to manage quarry operations in Pampanga is not "dead in the water" after all.
During Tuesday's committee hearing of the House of Representative's committee on environment and natural resources, provincial officials led by Governor Mark T. Lapid, vowed under oath to consider the NRDC proposal.
Lapid, together with the seven board members who voted against the passage of a resolution authorizing the Provincial Government to enter into a memorandum of agreement (MOA) with NRDC, were invited by the committee chaired by Agusan del Norte Reprsentative Leovigildo Banaag.
The committee hearing emanated from a House Resolution filed by third district Representative Rey B. Aquino, who urged for a congressional inquiry on the income-generating prospect of the quarry industry in the province.
In the committee hearing, Lapid - who was unable to attend the initial hearing set on February 9 - said he is willing to study the NRDC proposal once he receives a letter from the state-owned firm. NRDC top executives Tuesday pledged to send the Provincial Government the letter within the next 72 hours.
Lapid explained that when the NRDC presented the proposal to the Provincial Government on January 17, he was in the US, leaving Vice Governor Joseller "Yeng" Guiao as the acting governor.
It was during that time, he explained, that the NRDC approached the Provincial Government and presented its proposal to be deputized as the Province's collecting arm over quarry operations, with a commitment to give Pampanga a P36-million minimum annual income.
He claimed that he was not informed of the proposal and that it was not addressed to him.
Lapid said since he wishes to improve the quarry collection in the province, he would look into the proposal.
The House committee is expecting the Provincial Government to act on the proposal until the committee's follow-up hearing for the same issue on March 16.
Banaag said the proposal of NRDC is meritorious but urged the provincial legislators to make a thorough study before coming up with a decision.
"I hope we act sooner than later and look into the viability of the proposal," Banaag stressed during the hearing.
Vice Governor Guiao, who staunchly endorsed the NRDC proposal, said the result of Tuesday's hearing is a "victory for Kapampangans."
(March 2, 2005 issue)
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