Who’s Afraid of Transparency? Quarry Operations in Surigao del Norte Raise More Questions Than Answers

In a functioning democracy, transparency isn’t just a slogan—it’s a duty. But in Surigao del Norte, particularly in the towns of Gigaquit and Claver, that duty is being challenged by quarry operations whose permits are hidden from public view, even as the impact of their activities is all too visible on the ground.

The unchecked extraction of sand and gravel along the Baoy River corridor is no longer just a local nuisance—it’s an environmental, legal, and moral issue. These operations, derisively called “kamote quarries” by locals, appear to operate on temporary permits, special exemptions, or vague authorizations. Oversight is either missing or ignored, and safeguards meant to protect the environment are routinely bypassed.

What’s being lost? Critical watershed areas—natural systems that provide clean water to thousands—are being degraded, sometimes irreversibly. Watersheds and quarries cannot co-exist. That’s not just an environmental opinion; it’s a hydrological fact. Yet extraction continues, raising concerns about whether proper Environmental Compliance Certificates (ECCs) or Certificates of Non-Coverage (CNCs) from the DENR even exist for many of these sites.

In the barangays of Lahi, Sicosico, and Camam-onan—collectively known as LASICAM—residents see the cost firsthand. Once-quiet mountain villages now rumble day and night with overloaded dump trucks. The roads, once paved and passable, are now cracked, broken, and increasingly unsafe for students, workers, and emergency responders. The cost of repair? Estimated in the hundreds of millions—far exceeding the reported P3 to P5 million in annual revenues these operations bring into the province through transport permits and inspection fees.

Which leads to the real mystery: why the secrecy?

When a formal resolution was filed requesting a list of quarry permit holders, provincial authorities declined to release it. Their reasoning? A questionable interpretation of the Freedom of Information Act—ironically, the very law meant to ensure that this information must be public.

Even more baffling was the reaction of some members of the Provincial Board. One official dismissed the request, saying it was “not an urgent matter” and should “go through committee level first.” For residents watching their roads disintegrate and water sources threatened, that position feels out of touch at best—and deeply troubling at worst.

The concern over foreign involvement in extractive operations is growing. A recent Inquirer investigation exposed an illegal gold-mining operation in Surigao City run by Chinese nationals under an expired sand-and‑gravel permit, prompting widespread alarm among local residents. The report detailed extensive environmental damage that deprived communities of clean water, undermined livelihoods, and rendered agricultural lands unusable.

Just weeks later, the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office (MENRO) of the Municipality of Malimono in Surigao del Norte filed its own complaint alleging a separate, possibly unlawful mining operation also linked to Chinese operators. Authorities were alerted after a backhoe, using a nearby river as its access route, damaged water pipelines serving roughly 20 households.

Given the alarming Chinese presence in illegal mining operations in Surigao, one must now ask: are these questionable quarry operations also being backed by foreign operators? If so, it opens up a far broader—and more disturbing—dimension to the story. Are foreign interests quietly driving extractive activity in sensitive ecological zones? And if so, who in local government is turning a blind eye?

This growing refusal to reveal basic information about who’s digging up public resources is raising legitimate fears of conflicts of interest. Who are the real beneficiaries? And why are some public officials so determined to shield them from view?

The economics also defy logic. The province earns a few million pesos in administrative fees, but the damage to roads alone costs many times more. That’s without counting the long-term impact on drinking water, food supply, and community health. It’s a raw deal for residents, but someone, clearly, is profiting.

There is now movement toward an Environmental Protection Order. That’s a step in the right direction—but it’s only that: a step. Unless it is followed by genuine accountability, enforcement, and above all, transparency, the damage will continue.

And so the questions persist:

• Why are quarry permits being withheld from public scrutiny?
  
• Who truly profits from these operations—and who is protecting them?
  
• Why are vital watersheds being risked for short-term gain?
  
• Are foreign actors involved in illegal or irregular resource extraction?
  
• And why would any elected official resist such a simple act as revealing who is operating within their jurisdiction?
  

Surigao del Norte’s residents are already paying the price—in broken roads, shaken homes, and endangered water. The only ones not feeling the urgency, it seems, are those who were elected to act on their behalf.