MANAOAG–The provincial and municipal governments as well as barangays have been losing millions in potential income from quarry operations around the province.

Local government officials recently called the attention of the provincial government and Gov. Amado Espino Jr. has vowed to institute the reforms even as corrective measures have already been initiated.

San Jacinto Mayor Rudy Columbres had urged provincial officials to take appropriate action and policy changes that will correct the existing hauling fee system.

Columbres told acting Gov. Marlyn Agabas and members of the provincial board, who held their out-of-town session Monday here that the current one-ticket-per-truck system should be changed to a per-trip rate.

He cited the case of his town wherein one ticket costing P300 is issued   per truck, but it is used as many as 10 times per day to haul sand and other construction aggregates.

“As much as P2,700 (per day) is lost based on one truck only,” Columbres said.

The provincial and municipal governments get 30% each from the collection on quarry operations while the remaining 40% goes to the barangay where the quarry site is located.

Agabas said they will immediately look into the procedural lapses.

CORRUPTION

Quarry operations also suffer from a bad reputation of being a source of corruption.

Agabas said the new provincial administration has already changed the provincial government personnel assigned in quarry sites.

She added that Espino has also discovered that salaries of personnel in the quarry sites were more than the amount they collected.

Fourth District Board Member Liberato Villegas, who also owns trucks quarrying  minerals, said he used to pay up to P100,000 per month   for  their operation but most other operators get away  with much less.

“That is really unfair on my part,” said Villegas, who also called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to regularly check quarry sites.

Manaoag Mayor Napoleon Sales added that quarry sites should be evaluated as some areas are already eroded because of flawed quarrying operations.#

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