Gov. RDR asks quarry permit holders to help prevent floods

TAGUM CITY, Davao del Norte, April 24 (PIA):  Provincial Gov. Rodolfo P. del Rosario yesterday urged quarry permit holders in the province to protect the quarry areas to prevent frequent floods to occur.        

Speaking during the meeting of quarry permit holders with the Provincial Treasurer’s Office  and the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (PENRO), del Rosario  brought to their attention the extreme climatic conditions bringing heavy rains  lasting for more than a day.        

As quarrying is done mostly along rivers, Del Rosario asked them to provide measures to prevent massive flooding that could be aggravated by quarrying.        

He expected them to thresh out some environment-related problems during the meeting which, he said, also aimed at campaigning for additional revenues  to patch up income lost due to the 4.8 percent reduction of the Internal Revenue Allotment (IRA).        

Del Rosario revealed that the provincial government is losing this year about P19 million as a result of the IRA share reduction.        

However, he gladly noted that the quarry industry in the province is contributing to the revenue  coffers of the provincial government.        

Based on PTO data, the quarry industry raised a total of P3,243,375 income  from extraction fees collected within the first quarter of the year.        

If the income trend would be sustained until the year ends, PTO department head Regina Ricafort said the provincial government would be raking  in P12 million to P13 million from its 30 percent revenue share.        

While asking quarry permit holders to religious pay,  Del Rosario assured them that “the money you are paying us will go back to the people in  the form of services.”  (PIA-11/ Jeanevive Duron-Abangan)