THE extraction of sand and gravel from the riverbeds of Toledo City’s three barangays brings this question to light: how to balance the economic gains of quarrying with the environmental and social costs borne by local communities? The issue pits the need for construction materials against the preservation of farmland and the safety of riverside residents.
On Oct. 15, 2025, Cebu Gov. Pamela Baricuatro ordered an investigation into quarry operations in the city. The move came after she personally received a seven-page petition from residents who claim the activities are destroying their homes, farms and way of life.
This probe is not an isolated event. It reflects a broader effort by the Baricuatro administration to regulate the industry, following her suspension of 19 other quarry permit holders across the province last July 28, due to complaints of poor operations.
What happened
Members of the Sapangdaku River Community Stakeholders Association Inc., led by president Lauro Segarra, delivered a petition to the Capitol detailing how quarrying has allegedly enriched operators while residents suffer.
Baricuatro, who said she was unaware of the protest until she heard their chants, went out of her office and met with the group. She later directed the Provincial Legal Office to investigate their claims.
“Ato ning pagatan-awon ilang sitwasyon kay morag luoy sab kaayo kay daghan na kaayo og nangadatu sa quarrying unya ang sila nga namuyo dira, nag-antos intawn (We will look into their situation because it seems pitiful, as many have become rich from quarrying while the residents there are suffering),” she said.
The heart of the complaint
The core of the residents’ grievance centers on severe environmental and agricultural damage in Barangays Cambang-ug and Canlumampao. According to the petition, continuous quarrying has caused the Hinulawan River to widen and deepen, worsening floods and making it dangerous for residents to cross.
The most critical damage cited was the collapse of an irrigation dam in Cambang-ug. Lito Vasquez, a health impacts officer for Philippine Movement for Climate Justice, explained the consequences: “Because of the severe quarrying, the dam in Cambang-ug, which provided irrigation to three barangays — Canlumampao, Carmen and Talavera — collapsed. In these barangays, rice fields are no longer planted due to lack of irrigation.” This has directly impacted the livelihoods of local farmers.
A question of fairness
Beyond the environmental toll, the petition highlights a deep sense of injustice. Residents claim that while large-scale quarry operators continue their activities with impunity, small-scale sand extractors from their communities face arrest. This perceived selective enforcement has fueled resentment, creating a narrative of a system that penalizes the poor while protecting the wealthy. The community leaders expressed hope that Baricuatro’s intervention could resolve issues “left unresolved under previous administrations” and help “basic sectors bring food to their tables.”
What’s next
The Provincial Legal Office, led by Guiller Ceniza, will now investigate whether the Toledo City quarry operations were among those previously ordered to close and if they have violated provincial regulations. This probe runs parallel to earlier actions by the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office, which issued show-cause orders on Sept. 4 to 19 other suspended permit holders for violations like over-extraction.
The outcome of the investigation could lead to penalties or the revocation of permits for the operators in Toledo City. For the residents, the bigger question is whether the probe will lead to tangible solutions, such as the restoration of the collapsed dam and a more equitable enforcement of environmental laws that protects their communities and livelihoods. / CDF