Tuesday, January 15, 2008 Guv lauded for desilting Gugu By Albert B. Lacanlale
BACOLOR Mayor Romeo Dungca Jr. has commended the Pampanga Provincial Government for undertaking desilting operations at the Gugu Creek but posed several questions which he said Governor Eddie Panlilio should answer.
Dungca, who has been taking the cudgels in fighting for the continuous desilting of Gugu, said the governor needs to identify the entity given the permit to undertake quarrying in the creek be it in a commercial contract or under gratuitous permit.
On Saturday, the Provincial Government opened desilting at the lower and upper portions of the creek following several weeks of delay in the approval of permits to quarry in the creek that has become a source of anxiety among residents in nearby barangays.
The Provincial Government only referred to "private haulers" who would undertake the hauling of some 7,000 truckloads of sand from the creek, about 3,000 truckloads of which are reportedly under a gratuitous permit.
Under a gratuitous permit, haulers are not obliged to pay quarry fees, which are pegged at P300 per truck, provided, however, that the hauled materials would not be used for commercial purposes.
Dungca asked why the Provincial Government immediately approved the gratuitous permit to haul out sand from Gugu when there are other applications for similar permits which have yet to be acted upon by Panlilio.
"Why can the Provincial Government approve at once such request when there have been other requests that are still pending in their office but were already submitted much earlier," Dungca said.
As for the 4,000 truckloads that are not covered by the gratuitous permit, Dungca said the Municipal Government should be notified on whom the permit was given.
"This is to guide the Municipal Government and concerned barangays in claiming their shares in the taxes that would be collected," he explained.
The mayor also stressed that he is not opposed to the desilting since it was the very same action they have been asking the Provincial Government since last year.
"The governor has answered the request of the people of Bacolor for safety from the waters of Gugu. But, the governor should also answer the questions I raised for the sake of the rights of the people of Pampanga in the taxes collected from the desilting," Dungca said.
In a press statement, the Provincial Government said it has issued exclusive sand and gravel permits to "private individuals" who agreed to help in the desilting of the downstream portion of the Gugu Creek.
Desilting equipments were already mobilized since Friday afternoon commencing desilting operations that would ensure the safety of the residents of endangered barangays in Bacolor and the City of San Fernando come rainy season.
Executive Order (EO) 44 provides the guidelines in the desilting of the Pasig-Potrero River. It states that in order "to facilitate the desilting operations, private entities shall be encouraged to apply for the proper permit and pay the necessary fees in accordance with existing laws and ordinances".
Section 1 of the EO44 says that "any person, natural or juridical, resident of the Province of Pampanga, may apply for a permit for the desilting of the Gugu Creek with utmost priority on the critical areas that may endanger lives and properties".
"Hauling will continue for as long as desilting of the mentioned creek is necessary," said the Capitol.
One hauler agreed to dump the sediments at the back portion of the Magliman Dike. This is done in close coordination with Administrator Fer Caylao of the City of San Fernando who approved to assign an engineer to monitor the strengthening of the Magliman Dike that would eventually ensure the safety of Saint Jude Village residents who are adversely affected by floodwaters yearly at the event of rainfall.
