Locals oppose Boljoon rock scraping

CEBU, Philippines - Residents who showed up at yesterday’s public hearing for the ongoing slope benching of Boljoon’s Ili Rock mountain had opposing views but were one in asking the government why the project and simultaneous reclamation of neighboring shores had to be undertaken.

“When they were just starting it, I was there to ask what it was about, but the machine operator — there was no engineer in sight — just told me it had the approval of the mayor,” said Poblacion Barangay Captain Alexeus Celis.

Celis said he went to Mayor Merlou Derama but the latter also had “no knowledge” about the project.

Harms, benefits

In yesterday’s public consultation at the town’s gymnasium, Celis said he welcomes development for Boljoon but he is also worried of the project’s impact on the sea, on which some residents rely for their livelihood.

The Department of Public Works and Highways yesterday admitted they are doing a simultaneous reclamation at the sea just in front of Ili Rock in Barangay Talisay.  Rocks and limestone scraped from Ili Rock are allegedly dumped to the beach, sparking protest from local fishers.

Danny Mendez, 64, resident of the barangay, said reclamation would only destroy the shore and eventually lead to scarcity of fish. He has been fishing for 32 years now.

“Importante ang baybayon para namo kay unsaon na man lang ang pagnaog sa among mga sakayan unya asa naman lang mi agi?” Mendez said, adding that corals and seaweeds will also be destroyed.

Engineer James Dellosa of the 4th Engineering District of DPWH explained to residents that the project’s purpose is to protect them and passersby from falling rocks.

Ili Rock sits on a major highway where all trucks from the south and the north pass by.

Dellosa explained that after last year’s earthquake, it was discovered that the rock was damaged causing some boulders to roll down. He said if this is not repaired through slope benching, rockslide may continue and further endanger the public.

“Maliit na karsada, papano kung malaki ang waves, what if madadala yan?” he asked while showing the town’s damaged seawall due to typhoon Pablo in 2012. “Hindi po tayo magbulag-bulagan. It’s being inspected by our people. Kayo po ang maghuhusga kung ipagpatuloy pa natin,” he said.

Heritage talk

Ildefonso Canasa, 77, trisikad driver, said he may not be a fisherman but he is against the destruction of Ilihan rock that serves as Boljoon’s landmark for centuries.

Bino Guerrero, a heritage advocate vocal on his opposition to the project, said there are so many mountains that can be scraped to make way for developments, “but Ili Rock is not just any mountain, it symbolizes Boljoon.”

He said during World War II, the rock was a defense used by the Boljoanons.

Possible charges

Meanwhile, challenged by DPWH’s earlier statement that only a court order can stop it from bulldozing Ili Rock, former president of Boljoon Heritage Foundation Inc. lawyer Edmund Villanueva Villanueva personally served to the DPWH engineers the final demand before suit for the slope benching and reclamation projects.

Villanueva sees lapses in the methodology in implementing the project which he describes as “violating the Clean Water Act, ECC System, and among others.”

Possible administrative, criminal and civil charges will be filed against those who are involved in the project, he said.

Villanueva also questions why there was no endorsement from a geologist or a marine biologist considering that it involves the destruction of water resources. He also stressed the project did not even have endorsement from the Sangguniang Bayan and town officials not informed.

Now, according to him, the damage to the environment caused by the reclamation project is irreversible.

But DPWH assured the public and some heritage and environmental advocates who were present that they are “not removing this mountain but only the damaged portion.”

Consultation ‘made’

Engineer Marlon Marollano, 4th engineering district’s planning and design section’s chief, said it is not true that the project did not go through a public consultation.

He said they invited Mayor Derama to their office, adding that as mayor, it was already up for Derama to relay to the people what they talked about.

“Sa regional office ra buhaton, lisod kung tapukon ta mo tanan, wa na mi mabuhat sa among opisina,” he said. “Di nalang ta maghimo og project, kung magsige mo’g heritage-heritage?” Morallano added.

He said Boljoon is “even lucky” to get P89 million from the national government’s calamity fund while other areas like Negros are only getting P5 million or so.

Since it is financed by calamity fund, project’s implementation must then be “immediate,” Morallano said.

Missing limestone?

Separately, Louella Alix of Movement for Livable Cebu questioned where the limestone scraped from the rock and the white sand hauled from the beach have gone.

In response, Celis said contractor QM Builders General Building and Engineering Construction operates at midnight and limestone is brought to Barangay Baclayan of the same town.

The barangay captain said even they have no idea why the limestone and sand are hauled and brought to other areas.

Apparently, a certain retired colonel Silagan, who claims ownership to a portion of Ili Rock, lives in Baclayan, but Celis said he is not sure if the limestone and sand are brought to him. — Liv G. Campo and Ria Mae Y. Booc/JMD (FREEMAN)