2 months ago
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CEBU CITY — Cebu Gov. Gwendolyn Garcia has ordered large quarrying firms to stop all earth-moving operations for another 30 days, extending the provincial government's cease-and-desist orders (CDOs) to allow a continued environmental audit and risk assessment.
Garcia signed Executive Orders (EOs) 13 and 14 on March 24, directing Apo Land and Quarry Corp. (ALQC) and Solid Earth Development Corp. (SEDC) to suspend operations from March 25 to April 18.
The extension covers their respective Mineral Production Sharing Agreement areas.
She instructed the companies to avoid any action that may be seen as a continuation or revival of earth-moving activities. The governor also required them to comply with all directives until the audit and assessment were complete.
This marks the fourth time Garcia has extended the CDO against ALQC since she first issued it in December 2024.
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She previously cited the company's "apparent disregard of the safety" of residents near its quarry sites in Naga City.
For SEDC, this is the third extension this year, affecting its operations in San Fernando town.
Garcia invoked her authority under environmental law, the general welfare clause of Republic Act (RA) 7160 and RA 10121, or the Philippine Disaster Risk Reduction and Management Act of 2010.
In EO 14, she said she was acting under the precautionary principle to prevent harm to human health, safety and the environment.
ALQC supplies raw materials such as limestone, clay and graywacke to Apo Cement, while SEDC provides materials to Taiheiyo Cement Philippines.
Garcia said the extension aims to protect communities near the quarry sites and prevent an-other tragedy like the 2018 landslide in the City of Naga.
On Sep. 20, 2018, a massive landslide buried homes in Sitio Sindulan, Barangay Tinaan, killing at least 78 people and displacing hundreds of families.
The landslide occurred near a quarry site operated by ALQC.
The tragedy prompted nationwide calls for stricter regulation of quarrying activities and led to a temporary halt of all quarries in the country while authorities investigated the causes and assessed safety protocols.
