An environmental group is calling out on authorities to stop extraction of earth materials around the country for export. In a statement to media, Makakalikasan said they are “extremely apprehensive the earth materials are also being used in reclamation and infrastructure projects of China in the disputed Spratly’s Islands in the West Philippine Sea.” “It is very environmentally destructive, unsustainable and deprives local contractors from quality and affordable sand, gravel, aggregates and filling materials,” Makakalikasan said in a statement. “We do not understand, poor people have been prohibited, those caught apprehended and penalized for extracting sand using shovels and cartwheels, while these big time operators are allowed,” said Roy Cabonegro, Interim Secretary-General of Makakalikasan.
“This is actually worse than invasion. Literally they are taking Philippine soil out of the country, used to developed ‘stolen’ Philippine islands while leaving poor villages, mostly farm communities to pay for the environmental backlash brought by the unsustainable and very destructive extractive activity,” added Cabonegro. Ironically, local contractors are facing stiff competition for quality filling materials and other earth materials, but exporters are being allowed to freely take out Philippine soil -- literally. “If ever regulation is to be strengthened, it should be on the large quarry operations who feed their produce to giant ocean-going ships who bring these earth materials to China, Taiwan and the disputed West Philippine Sea,” he said. We want to stop this pillage of our environment are operating all over the country -- in Leyte, in the Davao Region, in Central Mindanao, Northern Luzon and other areas in the Visayas,” the group said. “The volume of extracted earth materials is staggering at hundreds of millions of cubic meters, loaded into huge ocean-going cargo ships,” the group claims. Cabonegro said, they are asking the Senate to conduct an investigation into the matter to stop this very destructive trade. Makakalikasan is an emerging national green political party.
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STATEMENTS
These are public statements of the Nature Party PH (MAKAKALIKASAN) ARCHIVES
April 2023
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