THE Cebu Provincial Government is launching an investigation into the activities of nearly 200 individuals allegedly conducting illegal quarrying of sand and gravel in the Hinulawan River in Toledo City.
Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro) chief Rodel Bontuyan announced on Monday, Oct. 27, 2025, that his office and the Provincial Administration Office will jointly handle the probe. The activities have reportedly affected eight barangays: Buswang, Cambang-ug, Canlumampao, Don Andres Soriano, Dumlog, Ilihan, Juan Climaco and Sangi.
Following protests in front of the Capitol last week, quarrying has been ordered stopped while the investigation is ongoing.
WHAT’S THE VIOLATION. The central issue is that the workers are allegedly operating without permits and outside the designated quarrying areas. Bontuyan stated that violations have already been observed. “As you can see in the picture, some are outside while others are within the permitted area,” he said in a mix of Cebuano and English.
Bontuyan said that the workers are frequently apprehended because they lack the necessary papers to extract and transport the materials.
“They extract these materials to sell... there are people who pick them up, people who buy them... They don’t have a permit. When they travel out, they don’t have papers, so they really get caught,” he said.
WHAT’S AT STAKE. Provincial officials warn that the unregulated activity poses serious environmental risks. Bontuyan emphasized that securing permits is crucial for assessing an area’s capacity and preventing over-extraction, which can weaken the soil and damage the river.
“The first risk there is that they dig anywhere. The digging is not disciplined, which is why the river is damaged,” Bontuyan said.
He contrasted this with regulated operations: “It’s not that we are siding with those who have permits, but because they have permits, they are bound to comply with the methodology for scientific extraction. These people who dig just anywhere, they carry the risk because wherever the soil is soft, where the material is good, it’s easy to dig.”
Nationwide, unregulated quarrying is known to destabilize riverbanks and upland slopes, worsening disaster risks like erosion and flooding and damaging livelihoods like farming and fishing.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: A HIDDEN ECONOMY. The situation in Toledo reflects a broader national issue where illegal quarrying, though violating laws like Republic Act 7942 (Mining Act of 1995) often functions as an economic survival strategy.
In many communities, formal employment is scarce and quarrying offers immediate cash income, even if it is precarious and dangerous. This creates a hidden economy where workers sell sand and gravel to local traders and middlemen who control prices. This activity is fueled by a constant local demand for construction materials driven by urbanization.
Treating it solely as a law enforcement problem misses the structural drivers: unemployment, inequitable profits and unchecked demand. This creates a cycle of dependency where workers remain trapped in precarious labor even as their environment deteriorates.
THE ENFORCEMENT DILEMMA. A key challenge for the Province is that crackdowns tend to focus on the most visible actors — the workers hauling sand from the river.
Reports from watchdog groups and case studies, such as a 2023 Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism report on sand mining in Ilocos Sur, show that arrests and fines fall hardest on the laborers. Meanwhile, the financiers, organizers and middlemen — who often have political or business connections — frequently evade accountability.
This leaves the government to grapple with an enforcement action that punishes the most vulnerable while the systemic causes remain unaddressed.
WHAT’S NEXT. Gov. Pamela Baricuatro, who personally inspected the area last Saturday, Oct. 25, accompanied by Penro, legal officers and Provincial Administrator Ace Durano, has promised to have the Provincial Legal Office look into the situation.
With the temporary stoppage order in place, Bontuyan said the next step is to hold another meeting to discuss possible assistance for the quarry workers who will lose their livelihood. / ANV, KAL