PIA Press Release
LUCENA CITY (12 October) -- The Tanggol Kalikasan (TK)-Southern Tagalog has strongly assailed the extracting operation of corrals, locally known as "gasang", by a German national along the sea coast of Lamon Bay bounded by Brgy. Lumutan in the municipality of Atimonan, Quezon.
Barangay officials and Bantay Dagat said the German national, identified as Hunz Britain who is married to a Filipina, was reportedly using back hoe to extract corrals for the construction of a seawall fronting his rest house, according to Glenn Forbes, Tanggol Kalikasan program officer.
Forbes revealed that the extracting operation violates Section 79 of the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 stating "no extraction, removal, and/ or disposition of materials shall likewise be allowed in offshore areas within 500-meter distance from the coast and 200 meters away from the mean low tide level along the beach" and Section 91 of the Philippine Fisheries Code of 1998 which prohibits the extraction of "ordinary, precious, and semi-precious corals" unless intended for scientific and research purposes.
Forbes added that the local government of Atimonan, Quezon gave permission for the construction of the German's rest house but not for the quarrying of stone corals. "The contractor must also secure permit from the DENR for any development along the seashore," Forbes further said.
Ester Fiescas, DENR-Gumaca mining section head, who monitors the Atimonan area said she will conduct an investigation of the said case and probably stop its operation and eventually file charges to guilty offenders. (PIA-MMIO)
About Tanggol Kalikasan
- Tanggol Kalikasan
- (Defense of Nature) is a non-stock, non-profit and non-governmental organization doing public interest lawyering in the Philippines. It has operated as an environmental law office for 17 years already. Tanggol works with national and international partners and networks and has its main office in Quezon City. It also maintains fully-staffed area offices in Alaminos City, Pangasinan (Northern Luzon Office) and Lucena City (Southern Luzon Office) and field offices in Lipa City and Baao, Camarines Sur.