THIS REFERS to the editorial cartoon of Gilbert Daroy depicting illegal quarrying in Mt. Banahaw (Inquirer, 10/19/12).
We would like to clarify that there are no illegal quarrying operations within the Mt. Banahaw-San Cristobal National Park. Those being undertaken in Sariaya and Dolores have been given permits by the provincial government of Quezon through the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board. These include portions of the Lagnas and Janagdong River systems, which are being dredged or quarried as part of river rehabilitation efforts to improve the flow of floodwaters from Mt. Banahaw though Sariaya to the sea.
On the other hand, pebble-picking activities in Lucban, Quezon, mainly done for the purpose of back-filling access roads in barangays, have been stopped by the barangay concerned since September because they lack permits from the provincial government.
—SAMUEL T. PARAGAS, regional director, Mines and Geosciences Bureau-4A (Calabarzon), mines_4a@yahoo.com