CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The administration of Gov. Lilia Pineda seems poised to surpass the performance of her predecessors in terms of income from lucrative but controversial lahar sand quarrying industry which, as of yesterday, already reached a total of P185.9 million.
Arthur Punzalan, chief of the provincial environment office, said the earnings so far meant an average of P21 monthly since Pineda assumed post nine months ago.
Records showed that during the gubernatorial terms of Sen. Lito Lapid and his son Mark from 2002 to 2007, total quarry income was only at P121 million.
On the other hand, quarry income for the three-year term of her predecessor, suspended priest Eddie Panlilio, was about P611 million.
In 2009, Panlilio filed charges against the Lapids before the Ombudsman amid allegations that the provincial government lost over P500 million of quarry income during their terms.
“The present administration was able to manage and develop the quarry industry because of its vigilance and proper monitoring of the system. The right personnel have been put in place so that human errors were minimized,” Punzalan said.
He said “truckers and quarry operators have been cooperating and submitting themselves to all existing laws and regulations, seeing that doing so would be for their own protection.”
This, even as the provincial government warned truckers that starting next month, the Land Transportation Office (LTO), in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), will start clamping down on overloaded trucks.
Because of this, the provincial government is purchasing six weighing scales to make sure that trucks hauling lahar sand and other loads in this province do not exceed weight prescribed by law to protect roads from being prematurely damaged.
“Each unit would cost P848,000, thus, six units would amount to a total of P5,092,800,” Punzalan said. The purchase has been approved by the provincial board.
Punzalan said Pineda also wants to computerize the quarrying system as an aid to maximizing the cost-benefit ratio of the quarry industry.
Records from the provincial environment office show the following monthly income from quarrying under the Pineda administration: July 2010- P23.505 million; August – P20.805 million; September,- P20.715 million; October- P17.520 million; November- P19.950 million; December,-P16.890 million; January 2011- P20.280 million; February- P20.325 million; March- P21.780 million. The recorded income for April 1 to 6 was P4.200 million.
Arthur Punzalan, chief of the provincial environment office, said the earnings so far meant an average of P21 monthly since Pineda assumed post nine months ago.
Records showed that during the gubernatorial terms of Sen. Lito Lapid and his son Mark from 2002 to 2007, total quarry income was only at P121 million.
On the other hand, quarry income for the three-year term of her predecessor, suspended priest Eddie Panlilio, was about P611 million.
In 2009, Panlilio filed charges against the Lapids before the Ombudsman amid allegations that the provincial government lost over P500 million of quarry income during their terms.
“The present administration was able to manage and develop the quarry industry because of its vigilance and proper monitoring of the system. The right personnel have been put in place so that human errors were minimized,” Punzalan said.
He said “truckers and quarry operators have been cooperating and submitting themselves to all existing laws and regulations, seeing that doing so would be for their own protection.”
This, even as the provincial government warned truckers that starting next month, the Land Transportation Office (LTO), in coordination with the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH), will start clamping down on overloaded trucks.
Because of this, the provincial government is purchasing six weighing scales to make sure that trucks hauling lahar sand and other loads in this province do not exceed weight prescribed by law to protect roads from being prematurely damaged.
“Each unit would cost P848,000, thus, six units would amount to a total of P5,092,800,” Punzalan said. The purchase has been approved by the provincial board.
Punzalan said Pineda also wants to computerize the quarrying system as an aid to maximizing the cost-benefit ratio of the quarry industry.
Records from the provincial environment office show the following monthly income from quarrying under the Pineda administration: July 2010- P23.505 million; August – P20.805 million; September,- P20.715 million; October- P17.520 million; November- P19.950 million; December,-P16.890 million; January 2011- P20.280 million; February- P20.325 million; March- P21.780 million. The recorded income for April 1 to 6 was P4.200 million.
