By: Dante Salvaña
ZAMBALES — The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has found no dredging activity in Sitio Tek-Tek, Barangay Maloma, San Felipe, Zambales, disputing allegations that dredging operations may be contributing to coastal erosion in the area.
Zambales Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Officer Marife Castillo said the DENR conducts daily monitoring of the area and has not observed any dredging vessel operating along the coastline of Sitio Tek-Tek.
Castillo also addressed allegations raised by the Zambales Ecological Network (ZEN) questioning the environmental impact and monitoring of dredging operations in the province.
She said the DENR has studied the dredging activities and that these are being implemented under an inter-agency framework, with environmental safeguards and monitoring measures in place.
“The dredging has definitely been studied,” Castillo said, citing DENR Administrative Order No. 2019-13 as among the bases for the agency’s assessment and monitoring.
According to Castillo, the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) prepared the dredging plan, while the DENR, Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) and Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) worked on the corresponding environmental measures.
She said dredging vessels are being monitored in designated areas, including Bucao river in Botolan and the Santo Tomas River, particularly in the estuary or mouth of the river.
“They have a designated dredging zone. They should confine the area. They cannot go around anywhere. They will only dredge there,” Castillo said.
The MGB, she added, monitors the dredged materials, including the volume of sand loaded onto vessels, while the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) is part of the inter-agency monitoring team responsible for maritime enforcement and safety.
Castillo also disputed the impression that dredging vessels are operating freely along Zambales’ coastline, saying DENR personnel are conducting regular monitoring of the designated dredging areas.
She said reports and monitoring data are available to address concerns raised by environmental groups, adding that the DENR is prepared to present the data to stakeholders seeking clarification on the operations.
Castillo stressed that allegations linking dredging directly to coastal erosion should be evaluated through technical and scientific assessment, particularly by distinguishing authorized river or estuary dredging from activities occurring along the open coastline.
The DENR official maintained that no dredging was being conducted in Sitio Tek-Tek at the time of the agency’s latest monitoring, while authorized operations elsewhere remain subject to designated areas and inter-agency monitoring.