QUARRYING FACE-OFF SET

MAASIN CITY - The long awaited meeting between anti and pro-quarrying groups was a washout, as invited anti-quarrying groups did not attend.

The forum which was hosted by the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Management Office (PENRMO) and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau's Regional office was supposed to tackle the environmental regulations covering river and off-shore quarrying in the province.

Those invited to attend the dialogue were local environmental groups, the tri-media, and sand and gravel quarrying concessionaires in Southern Leyte.

Among those expected to voice out their opposition (but were absent) was Bontoc Environmentalist Rodel Buntuyan, the leader of the Movement Against Quarrying in Bontoc. Also invited to represent the anti-quarrying group was DYSL Radio's new Station Manager who was supposed to brief the participants on the numerous complaints DYSL received against the large scale quarrying of the Subang Daku River.

Since the only ones who attended the meeting were quarrying concessionaires and PENRMO and MGB representatives the meeting ended up focusing on the new and stricter government regulations covering river quarrying which according to antimining groups is actuallyopen-pit mining and not "River Channelling" as claimed by its concessionaires.

Because of the lack of representation from the different stakeholders on river quarrying the PENRMO is now planning to hold a "summit" to thresh out the various areas of concern regarding Sand and Gravel quarrying in Southern Leyte.

SLSU President Dr. Gloria Reyes has offered SLSU's conference room for the proposed summit since its near the quarrying sites that are now the center of complaints.

Dr. Reyes said many state university students, teachers and officials wanted to know when the 19 year rechanneling project of Subang Daku would end. (by RUEVIVAR "WOWIE" REYES )

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