CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The Provincial Government of Pampanga announced that it will mediate in the ongoing dispute between the Municipal Government of Porac and quarry operators and haulers following their self-imposed shutdown of operations on the night of Nov. 21.
Some 40 quarry operators and 850 haulers slammed the Porac LGU for allegedly imposing unjust taxes and random changes in policies and processes of the municipal government especially in issuing clearances, prompting a lockdown of their sites which they planned to last for 15 days.
“Hindi na namin kayang ipagpatuloy ang aming kabuhayan sa ganitong sitwasyon,” read a statement of the Association of Porac Sand and Gravel Quarry Operators Inc. (APSGQO) posted in their social media page on Nov. 22.
“Kusa silang huminto dahil sa kadahilanang hindi nila makuha ang certification nila mula sa mayor at yung taxation nila sa ecological, yun yung grievances nila,” noted
Engr. Romeo Dungca Jr., chief of KALAM (Kapampangan a Lulugud at Matapat), the provincial quarry regulatory unit, after a coordination meeting with representatives of the quarry operatoirs and haulers.
The Porac LGU has not yet issued any formal communication to the Capitol regarding the change in the municipality’s ecological tax rates, he added
Under the current revenue-sharing scheme, sand tax collections are distributed at 40% for barangays, 30% for cities or municipalities, and 30% for the province. The Capitol imposes a P250 administrative fee, P150 sand tax, and P30 weighing scale fee.
Based on the ordinance submitted by the Municipality of Porac, the ecological tax previously set at P100 per truck and was recently increased to P100 per 12-cubic-meter truckload, a change that caught several quarry operators and haulers by surprise.
The abrupt adjustment triggered widespread complaints from stakeholders which, they claimed, they raised with the Porac LGU but went unaddressed.
At the meeting with KALAM, the group expressed its intention to file an administrative case against the Porac LGU, citing alleged “double taxation.”
Dungca appealed to the group to allow the matter to be discussed before the sangguniang panlalawigan, emphasizing that their ongoing suspension of operations could significantly impact provincial revenues.
The two-week stoppage is projected to result in a loss of approximately P40 million in collections, funds that would have supported key health programs and services under Gov. Lilia “Nanay” Pineda and Vice Gov. Dennis “Delta” Pineda. “Nakiusap lang tayo kung pwedeng pag-usapan. Hindi natin pwedeng ihinto nang matagal yan. ‘Yan ang utos sa amin ni Gov Nanay dahil diyan kumukuha ang Kapitolyo sa pantulong niya sa mga Kapampanhan,” Dungca said.
The provincial government is currently awaiting an official statement from the Municipality of Porac regarding the issue.
KALAM also emphasized that the sand sourced from Porac is considered one of the finest volcanic sand deposits in Southeast Asia, underscoring its high demand within the construction sector.
According to data from the Office of the Provincial Treasurer, Pampanga’s quarry revenues have reached some P5 billion from 2019 to 2025. Punto News Team/PR
