Chinese dredging vessel runs aground in Cagayan, Philippines

[Dredging360.com]

Chinese dredging vessel runs aground in Cagayan

A Chinese dredging vessel, suspected of being used for black sand mining, ran aground in Aparri, Cagayan.

According to a report by Athena Imperial on GMA News TV's State of the Nation with Jessica Soho on Thursday, the rough waves amid inclement weather sent the vessel at the shallow part of the waters.

The crew aboard the dredging vessel did not seek any help but the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) initiated to check how the foreigners were doing.

The PCG said it also inspected the vessel's oil tank to prevent an oil spill.

The Chinese crew decided not to venture out too far from the coast until the weather condition improves.

Meanwhile, Cagayan Governor Manuel Mamba allayed the worries of some residents about the alleged black sand mining activity of the dredger.

He has previously said that the vessel was just doing a free dredging operation in Cagayan River in exchange of the sands that would be collected therein.

"There is also a certification coming from MGB (Mines and Geosciences Bureau) that there is no commercial value of the black sand content of those being dredged out," Mamba said.

"Pumunta sa akin ang mga Chinese and Taiwanese. They said that they are willing to dredge it for free for as long as they get the dredged material. Dadalhin nila sa Hong Kong because according to them, they will reclaim a part of the Hong Kong Bay to expand the Hong Kong Airport," he added.

[Dredging360.com]

Cagayan execs seek Duterte’s help vs ‘black sand mining’

TUGUEGARAO CITY, Cagayan, Philippines — The Cagayan provincial board has asked President Rodrigo Duterte to stop dredging at the mouth of the Cagayan River that reportedly involves illegal extraction of black sand, or magnetite, an ore of iron used in steel production.
In a resolution approved on Aug. 7, the board members said the dredging being carried out by Pacific Offshore Exploration Inc. (POEI) posed a threat to the environment and livelihood of villagers.

“This is to be investigated as we appeal to the President (Duterte) to suspend the operation as the company has yet to comply with the requirements,” Board Member Mila Catabay-Lauigan said during the board’s regular session last week.
The provincial government entered into a memorandum of agreement with POEI for the dredging project in Aparri town in June.
Lauigan also claimed that the dredging vessel put the waste or nonmineral sand back into the river.

P2.6B a month, no ECC
Another board member, Vilmer Viloria, said the dredging project had not been issued an environmental compliance certificate (ECC) and other permits, which, he noted, made the contractor’s operation illegal.

The board resolution said the contractor was earning about $50 million or P2.6 billion a month from the alleged black sand mining.
Residents near the Cagayan River said they had been seeing several dredging vessels with Chinese markings since July.
At the height of Typhoon “Hanna” (international name: Lekima) last week, one of the dredging vessels ran aground due to strong winds and rough waves, according to the Philippine Coast Guard.

Mamba denial

Gov. Manuel Mamba denied that the dredging project involved extracting black sand.
Mamba said the dredging at the mouth of the Cagayan River would give way to the reopening of the Port of Aparri.
He also said the project would “improve economic and trade relations between Cagayan and China, and other neighboring Asian countries.”
“I would resign if they can prove that it is black sand mining. It is dredging, plain and simple,” Mamba told the Inquirer by telephone on Tuesday.
He said the company offered to dredge the river for free.
Mamba, who is also chair of the regional development council’s infrastructure development committee, approved a resolution on the reopening of the Aparri port in 2018.

Stop order

On Aug. 6, the Aparri municipal council approved a separate resolution asking the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to issue a cease-and-desist order against POEI.
According to the council, the dredged materials were being transported abroad.
“With the absence of the dredging plan and a dredging permit, it is very apparent that there is no prior assessment of the possible environmental impact of the dredging activity despite the fact that there will be pernicious effects resulting [in] environmental degradation,” it said.

It added: “The operation is illegal and must be stopped immediately to avoid environmental hazards and threats to life and livelihood.”

[Dredging360.com]

DPWH urged to stop firm from dredging in Cagayan for operating without permit

MANILA, Philippines – The Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) should stop the dredging activity in Cagayan due to the absence of a necessary permit.
An ocular inspection was conducted by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) as well as representatives from concerned government agencies showed that the dredging company Pacific Offshore Exploration Inc. (POEI) conducted dredging operation without the necessary permit.

The dredging company has five vessels – MV Fortune Wing, the mother ship, dredgers MV Zhonhai 68 and MV Beauty and transport vessels LCT CTH 181 and 182.
A Memorandum for the Regional Director dated June 13, 2019 from the MGB showed that the company has a memorandum of agreement with the Cagayan Provincial Government but has no dredging permit from the DPWH.
The committee also interviewed the chief officer of the mother vessel, Ye Jialong, who said that the mother vessel has a loading capacity of 53,880 metric tons.
The Bureau said the DPWH should issue a cease and desist order against the POEI pending issuance of an approved dredging permit.
The dredging company, on the other hand, should secure the necessary permits from government offices and local government units and pay the necessary permits.

The Bureau added that the sample dredged materials should be sent to MGB Central Office for laboratory analysis.
Recently, the Cagayan provincial board already called on President Rodrigo Duterte to intervene on the dredging at the mouth of the Cagayan River that reportedly involves illegal extraction of black sand, or magnetite, an ore of iron used in steel production by POEI.
READ: Cagayan execs seek Duterte’s help vs ‘black sand mining’
Last July 20, fisherfolk from several barangays in Aparri, Cagayan already tapped the police, fearing the negative effect of the hauling of silt materials from the Cagayan River.
Based on the memorandum of the Cagayan Police Provincial Office, the hauling of silt materials from Cagayan River stopped during Typhoon “Falcon” and resumed operation soon after the weather disturbance passed.

[Dredging360.com]

No black sand mining in Cagayan River, firm assures

MANILA, Philippines — The Pacific Offshore Exploration Inc. (POEI) on Wednesday vowed that no black sand mining would take place in dredging operations at the mouth of Cagayan River in Aparri, Cagayan.
The firm’s legal counsel, Dominador Say, said this during a session of the Provincial Board of Cagayan, amid allegations of black sand mining activities in the dredging project which seeks to make way for the reopening of the Port of Aparri.

The board earlier appealed to President Rodrigo Duterte to stop the dredging as it posed a threat to the environment and the livelihood of residents.

But Say said that the Mines and Geosciences Bureau itself reported that the commercial value of the magnetite ore found in the black sand of Cagayan River in Aparri is either of low or no value.
Say also clarified that the actual dredging of the river had not commenced as they had only conducted exploratory and testing activities, which are among the requirements before their full operation.
The lawyer further denied that his firm did not have the necessary permit for the project and that they were earning about $50 million, or about P2.6 billion, a month from the alleged black sand mining.

On the issue of Aparri fisherfolk losing their source of livelihood, Say said POEI would be ready to employ them during the declogging operations at the mouth of the river.
Approved by the provincial board
The provincial government signed the memorandum of agreement with POEI for the project last June.
Say said the provincial board itself was the one that selected the POEI for the project and that board also approved the move of Gov. Manuel Mamba to enter into the agreement.

Mamba has defended the move, saying that the dredging project did not involve black sand mining while reiterating that the project merely seeks to make way for the reopening of the Port of Aparri.
“I would resign if they can prove that it is black sand mining. It is dredging, plain and simple,” Mamba said in a phone interview with the Philippine Daily Inquirer.