Clearing siltation on our lagoon should start soon...

The municipalities of Buguey and Gonzaga along the coastal areas of Cagayan are set to dredge their rivers this year amidst objections from cause-oriented groups.




With the issue on logging near dead, mining, or in this case dredging, has emerged as the top environmental concern today with nearly all stakeholders taking a slice of the publicity cake for whatever purpose it may serve them, a local editorial noted.



From among the coastal municipalities, the two towns seem to be winning the war as latest developments attest to such a scenario. In Buguey, the local government unit has signed an agreement with an unnamed firm to dredge the Buguey River, a 14-kilometer stretch of water rich in mineral and marine resources.



The memorandum of agreement earlier into by the parties will soon be provided to the public and other stakeholders if only to prove the transparency of the local government units.



Two years ago, residents of Buguey rallied behind the Social Action Center of the Sr. Ann Parish Church when news reached them thatforeign nationals have started allegedly to mine the shores of Paddaya, a barangay whichborders the town of Aparri.



Protesters claimed that any dredging activity along the Cagayan River and its tributaries may cause erosion which can lead to flooding. They added that endemic species within these areas may likewise be threatened.



On the contrary, there has never been any report on flooding as a result of dredging and that species are even enhanced when the dredged material is used as a beach nourishment.



Buguey Mayor Licerio Antiporda III said the memorandum of agreement is a result of four years of studies separately conducted along the Buguey River by research groups including a Canadian Executive Services Organization, the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources and other foreign and local-based.



He said the river needed dredging as early as the 1990s but the municipality had to wait for studies to support the plan of the present administration to finally save the river from siltation.



Only last year, even barangays located along the national highway and those on higher areas experienced flooding as the siltation along the river prevents the regular flow of water from creeks to the main body of the Buguey River.



Listed by the United Nations as a wasteland of international importance during the Ramsar, Iran Convention in 1998, Mayor Antiporda said that this just proved that the river has maintained its ecological balance despite protests from anti-mining groups contradicting scientific studies.



Siltation is the main problem within the river and pollution, cited one of those studies commissioned by the national government.



Antiporda said that under the agreement signed, the dredging company will conduct the activity at no expense to the LGU. The payment would come in the form of any material found on the dredged materials after processing.



This early, the LGU is on the process of convincing the firm to dispose the dredged materials to the beaches of the municipality for nourishment as suggested by researches and international studies.



“We have started to explain to the people the benefit of the project and would welcome any inquiry from any group to clarify issues on the plan,” the mayor said.



The earlier studies confirmed the existence of various elements in the Buguey River other than magnetite sands. The studies suggested these silts should be removed to maintain a balance of the elements and a balance of the ecology.



“We are transparent on this regard as we will provide the dredging firm a plan designed by the LGU on the dredging activity itself,” Mayor Antiporda said as he allayed fears the permit might be abused.



Under Article 46, Chapter 10 of the Cagayan Environment Code of 2005, the Provincial Mining and Regulatory Board shall regulate the mining, quarrying and utilization of mineral resources in the province as it shall adopt a framework from which the principles of sustainable development shall be integrated in decision-making processes involving minerals utilization.



Cagayan is approximately 900,270 hectares and constitutes about 3 percent of the total land area of the Philippines. It is crisscrossed by rivers and creeks with the Cagayan River as the largest.



The province has a total stretch of 570.5 kilometers from Sta. Margarita in Penablanca to Sta. Praxedes on its northwestern portion.



Among natural and mineral resources in Cagayan include limestone, gypsum, phosphate, sulfur, iron ore, magnetite sand, manganese, perlite and gold.



As early as 1995, the tourism council of Buguey has identified the Buguey Lagoon along the river as a potential area for tourism entrepreneurship. Various activities have been conducted in the area capped by the annual boat race during the town’s patronal fiesta and festival.



The mayor expects his constituents they will support the environment project once it commences.