Cojuangco opposes sale of dredged materials to MM projects
SECOND District Rep. Mark Cojuangco strongly opposed the plan to transport dredged materials from the Limahong Channel to Metro Manila, arguing that the resources should remain within Pangasinan for the benefit of local communities.
In an interview, Cojuangco expressed his support for the dredging initiative but emphasized that the materials, or “spoils,” should stay in the local area, particularly in the towns of Binmaley and Lingayen because he believes these materials could be used for beach nourishment, flood mitigation, and other local projects that would directly benefit residents.
Cojuangco has been advocating with the DENR and the DPWH to prevent private entities from profiting from the dredged materials that can be used to address local flooding and shoreline erosion, particularly in vulnerable areas like Barangay Sabangan in Binmaley.
However, despite his objections, Cojuangco learned to his dismay that the DENR recently approved a request for dredging projects citing the Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC) issued by DENR for the dredging.
“The decision was made too quickly, and it’s troubling that I only found out about it after the ECC was issued. This is a serious issue, and I am considering filing a case to stop the export of these materials,” Cojuangco said.
According to documents from the DENR, the dredging project is expected to extract 4.37 million cubic meters of sediment from the Limahong Channel worth P2.6 billion reportedly to be sold in Metro Manila for reclamation projects while local government units only earn P14 per cubic meter allocated to barangay taxes.
“The Malacañang budget for flood control projects is one billion pesos a day, and yet they can’t allocate just P300 million to dredge the Limahong Channel and benefit the local communities here?” he added.
The congressman emphasized that dredging the historic Limahong Channel is necessary, as it has become too shallow, hindering proper water flow but it should be done by government. (Eva Visperas)
Share your Comments or Reactions
Powered by Facebook Comments
