WHAT was supposed to be a day of livelihood turned tragic for 18-year-old Jade Suralta, who was killed in a quarry accident in Barangay Cagcagan, Poro, Camotes Island.
Suralta was extracting limestone in the area around 3 p.m. Friday, October 24, 2025, when a large seven-foot boulder collapsed on his back.
His two companions managed to escape unharmed after spotting the falling boulder in time.
According to Cebu Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro) head Rodel Bontuyan, the Capitol had previously granted a gratuitous quarry permit to the Municipality of Poro in August 2020 for government use only, valid for one year.
However, the permit was never renewed after it expired.
During an on-site inspection on Saturday, October 25, Bontuyan confirmed that the area where Suralta had been extracting limestone was part of an illegal quarry site, as its permit had long expired in August 2021.
Bontuyan said the landowner continued quarry operations despite the expiration of the permit, and nearby residents, mostly struggling families, also began extracting limestone to earn a living.
He added that poverty may have driven residents to engage in quarrying on their own.
Bontuyan said initial reports linked the illegal quarrying to a Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) road project, a 1.6-kilometer stretch connecting Barangays Cagcagan and Adela, which was contracted to VSP Structure Venture Corp.
Residents allegedly sold the limestone they extracted to the landowner for P3 per sack.
VSP Structure Venture Corp. was also reportedly involved in extracting limestone from the quarry site.
During the inspection, Bontuyan said a backhoe owned by the contractor was allegedly among the first to operate in the area before Suralta and his companions began their own extraction.
Following a field investigation on Monday, October 27, the Penro said it will issue a cease and desist order and a show cause order against those involved in the illegal quarrying.
As for the specific violations, Bontuyan said they are still awaiting the results of the ongoing investigation. (CDF)