BONTOC, Mountain Province – The Cordillera Regional Development Council (RDC-CAR) approved a resolution requesting the Cordillera offices of the Department of Public works and Highways (DPWH-CAR) and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR-CAR) to conduct the required information and education campaign on the serious negative effects of sand mining or quarrying near the Bontoc-Samoki bridge. including environmental protection concerns to help preserve the status of the bridge structure in the area.
Earlier, the Lang-Festival Organization and officials of the Cordillera office of the Mines and Geosciences bureau (MGB-CAR) agreed in a meeting last February 10, 2017 that the Bontoc Multi-sectoral Group (BMG) shall facilitate the creation of a task force to deal with quarrying along the Chico river and that it requested the RDC-CAR for assistance and proper action.
The technical working group (TWG) of the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB) was tasked to finalize the composition of the task force which will be governed by the issuance of concerned local officials.
Quarrying or sand mining on both sides of the Bontoc-SamokiBridge was seen as one of the major reasons why the bridge structure was heavily damaged during the onslaught of Supertyphoon Lawin that struck the region last October 2015 and rendered the bridge structure beyond repair and subject for replacement.
The Bontoc-Samoki bridge links Mountain Province and Ifugao up to Nueva Vizcaya and Isabela in Region II and up to now, only light vehicles are allowed to pass the bridge, severely affecting trade and commerce in the whole province.
DPWH officials present during the second quarter RDC-CAR meeting informed the body that the survey of the bridge structure was completed last month and the preparation of the detailed design and plans is still underway and will be completed the soonest.
The RDC-CAR reiterated the request for DPWH to facilitate the immediate rehabilitation of the bridge structure to avoid the further deterioration of the bridge that plays a key role in sustaining the economic activities in the capital town and the trade and commerce provincewide.
Further, the RDC-CAR tasked concerned government agencies to conduct an inspection of the Chico river for possible contamination of cyanide and mercury as a result of small-scale mining.
Some reports claimed that a number of local miners are allegedly using cyanide and mercury in their mining activities affecting the water quality of the river system.
The RDC-CAR stated concerned government agencies should submit periodic updates relative to the said pressing issue while the members of the task force are still being formalized and MGB-CAR will request the Cordillera office of the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB-CAR) to include the inspection of the Chico river in their water quality monitoring.
Gov. Bonifacio Lacwasan, Jr. expressed his gratitude for the prompt and relevant actions of the RDC-CAR on the oppressing issues raised by the provincial government and other concerned stakeholders on the status of the Bontoc-Samoki bridge and the water quality of the Chico river.
By HENT
