Post by casagrande on Feb 20, 2010 6:49:25 GMT 8
Development Aggression 1: QUARRYING
16 January 1973 marks the day when the demise of the hills and mountains of Dulong Bayan, San Mateo commenced, on account of this extraction of non-renewable resources. Rizcon Mining Association with office address at Manggahan, Pasig, Metro Manila, was a Quarry Permit Holder in San Mateo from 16 January 1973 to 15 January 1998. As a recognized "Placer Lease Contract Holder" of Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau - Region 4 (MGB R4), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Rizcon produced andesite, basalt, etc, by blasting the face of Mount Mataba in Dulong Bayan.
In 1977, just four years after Rizcon has initiated its mountain quarry in 1973, this same mining company based in Pasig applied for its Mining Lease Contract at the MGB-R4. Another twenty-five year permit to quarry was granted to Rizcon at the same location of mine at Dulong Bayan to extract non-renewable resources like basalt and andesite. Rizcon enjoyed a duration of permit to quarry from 14 September 1977 to 14 September 2002.
Another Permittee, Ernest Garcia, with office address at Dulong Bayan I, location of mine at Patiis, Guinayang, Malanday, San Mateo, was granted Permit to quarry with produced commodities like basalt, andesite and filling materials from 16 March 1992 to 16 March 1997.
It is interesting to note that on that same year, 1992, the Sangguniang Bayan of San Mateo, upon the proposal of Vice Mayor and Municipal Council Presiding Officer Atty. Enrique C. Rodriguez, Jr,. approved Resolution No. 66 series of 1992 - "A Resolution stating the Position/Stand of the Sangguniang Bayan with respect to the vast track of land located/situated at Brgy. ampid, Gulod Malaya, Silangan, Malanday and Pintong Bocawe." The town council resolved to maintain the usage and classification of the above-mentioned tracts of land to be agricultural, watershed and/or reforestation and/or conservation; and further, to oppose any so-called developmental plans and activties which shall damage said mountains and which ruin the foundation and appearance of the same such as, but not limited to, subdivision development, either for residential, industrial and/or commercial purposes, and quarrying.
But in 1997, one year before the expiry of Rizcon's quarry permit which would take place in 1998 as "Placer Lease Contract Holder" of theNMGB-R4, Conrock Development Corporation, with office address at Brgy. Guinayang, San Mateo, Rizal, was issued to its favor by the Rizal Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (RPMRB), Permit to Quarry at its location of mine in Malanday, San Mateo, extracting non-renewable resources like andesite and basalt. CONROCK's duration of permit was from 28 February 1997 to 28 February 2002.
Also in 1997, the RPMRB granted Permit to Quarry in favor of Monte Rock Corporation, with office address at Dulong Bayan, San Mateo, Rizal. Its location of mine is at Dulong Bayan, San Mateo, to extract from Mount Mataba precious non-renewable basalt and andesite. Monte Rock's duration of permit is from 10 October 1997 to 10 October 2002.
Still in 1997, under "Special Mines Permit Holders" of the MGB-R4 Mines Directory, CONROCK DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, with office address at 25 Majestic Village, Concepcion, Marikina City, Metro Manila, obtained Permit to Quarry at its location of mine in Brgys. Patiis, Guinayang and Malanday, San Mateo. Said company shall undertake this extraction of non-renewable resources from 05 June 1997 to 05 June 1998.
So far San Mateo's ecological destruction as described above has progressed thus:
twenty-five years of river quarrying, thereby upsetting the river ecosystem of San Mateo;
thrity years of mountain quarrying, damaging the mountains, forests and farmland ecosystems of this town. This extractive industry has the potential to generate large volume of sediment. If washed away into nearby waterways, they beacome source of water pollution and siltation. The major sources of sediments from quarrying are (1) stripping of topsoil and overburden, (2) waste stockpile, and (3) construction of roadways. Due to quarrying, there are four factors that contribute to the rapid soil erosion and ultimately water contamination, namely:
1.over clearing
2.long steep grade of roadway increasing velocity of run-of water
3.disturbance of loose and unstable slopes resulting to landslides and muddy road conditions
4.failure to provide control measures such as drainage structures, slope stabilization, stone surfacing and vegetative buffer zone.
quarrying involves blating the face of Mount Mataba. This creates voluminous dust, causes vibrations, loud noise, flyrocks
quarrying and rock crushing activities in San Mateo initiated major changes, such as:
1. changes in the local topography, particularly Mt. Mataba, and Patiis
2. hastens weathering
3. promotes increased siltation in affected surface water bodies
Quarrying and rock crushing activities in San Mateo resulted to eight environmental impacts:
1. increased river sediment load and changes in channel stability of their Abuab creek and Marikina River
2. Changes in the dynamics of the creek and coastline
3. Changes in the aesthetic appeal of Mt. Mataba and Patiis
4. Chemical contamination and high solid contamination with high turbidity of the Marikina River
5. Removal of topsoil and vegetative cover of Mt. Mataba
6. Dust emission
7. Blasting creates voluminous dust, causes vibrations, loud noise and flyrocks
8. Silt is being carried by surface run-off
Quarrying involves rock-crushing plants. Wastewater from the crushing process contains high solid concentration and with high turbidity has affected nearby waterways like the Abuab creek and Marikina River. Silt could also be carried by surface run-off if stockpile is not properly maintained with drainage system.
DEVELOPMENT AGGRESSION 2: DISESTABLISMENT OF SAN MATEO PROTECTED AREA
There are current maneuverings (from one pillar of society, the government, that is) leading to the eventual disestablisment or banishment of the province of Rizal from the coverage of Presidential Proclamation 1636:
Our basis for the above premise are :
in 1999, PAWD-EMPAS DENR Region 4 prepared a map of the modified coverage of the National Park, Wildlife Sanctuary and Game Preserve in the Municipalities of Real, Infanta, and General Nakar, province of Quezon;
to date ( in 2003), there are six (6) quarry permits operating within Proclamation 1636. Five (5) are in Montalban, and one (1) in San Mateo;
Resolution No. 2002-02 dated 07 January 2002, duly approved by the Sangguniang Bayan of San Mateo, indorsing Conrock Development Corporation to continue its quarry operation which is inside the protected area of Mount Mataba; (in the late 1950s, then Mayor of San Mateo, ESTEBAN FLORENCIO, led San Mateo residents in denouncing the application of some individuals for homestead rights in the forest lands of Mt. Mataba)
1st Indorsement of the late Mayor Jose F. Diaz of San Mateo, dated 08 February 2002, forwarded to then Rizal Governor Rebecca A. Ynares, indorsing the application of Conrock Development Corporation to continue its quarry operation;
2nd Indorsement of Atty. Eduardo L. Torres, Provincial Legal Officer and during that time, Vice-Chairman of PMRB of Rizal, dated 11 April 2002 to DENR RED Region 4, Samuel R. Penafiel, stating among others, for Conrock Development Corporation to continue its quarry operations in Sitio Patiis, Brgy. Guinayang, San Mateo, Rizal;
PAMB 1636-Rizal side Resolution No. 03-02 granting PAMB clearance to Conrock Development Corporation;
operation of a garbage landfill by the Metro Manila Development Authority for nine (9) years at Brgy. Pintong Bocawe, San Mateo, which is inside the Protected Area.
In a letter to then Governr of Rizal, Casimiro Ynares, expressing strong support to the continuing inclusion of Rizal province in Presidential Proclamation 1636, concerned citizens cite the following reasons:
the mountain ecosystems encompass several watersheds. Watersheds are areas with topographic divides drained by rivers and their tributaries with a common outlet. In nature and following the watershed continuum, the foothills are not the lower boundaries. They are part of watershed continuum which starts from the mountaintops to the foothills, to the lowlands and finally to the sea. In this continuum, three environments are identified, namely: mountain environment, lowland environment, and sea environment. An integrated management of mountain ecosystems includes are these three environments." (abstracted from The Watershed Continuum: Linking mountain and sea environments for Integrated Management by Dr. Severo Saplaco, UP-Los Banos Insititute of Renewable Resources).
each of the mountain/hill comprising the mountain range in Montalban, San Mateo, Angono, Tanay and Antipolo has a surface that absorbs rainwater and minimizes runoff water during heavy downpour. This reality helps in reducing the risks of flashfloods in the valleys of Rizal. However, if the distruction of mountains is unabated, the said risks will continously increase. In fact, the 01 - 04 August 1999 flashfloods, which rendered 20,000 victims/evacuees in the Montalban-San Mateo-Marikina-Cainta areas was an alarming sample;
the total surface area of the above-mentioned mountain range contains precious endemic and common flora and fauna. If this surface area is continuously bulldozed and exploited, the existing flora and fauna will become extinct. The consequences would be: carbon dioxide absorption (by the flora) from all the pollution will be significantly reduced, thus aggravating global warming, fresh supply of oxygen will necessarily be reduced too, thus, worsening the already steadily declining situation of air quality. Therefore, endangering the health of all living creatures in the province.
Development Aggression 3: Landfill inside the Protected Area
The dumping of Metro Manila's garbage in Brgy. Pintong Bokawe, San Mateo, started in February of 1991 in a 2.1 hectares of land which is within the protected area of Presidential Proclamation 1636.
Alarmed by the situation, then Municipal Councilor of San Mateo, Atty. Enrique Rodriguez, Jr., together with a Parish Youth Leader, Joel Cuevas, in tandem with the Holy Cross Chapel social action coordinator, Noli Abinales, organized a protest march along the main thoroughfares of the town in February 1991. That rally contra landfill was participated in by students, concerned citizens of San Mteo, and the mini-pastoral councils of various chapels.
Three years would pass and the MMDA landfill in San Mateo was still operational. On 19 March 1994, the Disaster Management Council and the Ecology group of the diocese of Antipolo, together with the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Arnel Lagarejos, Councilor Jun Endaya, Parish Pastoral Council Secretary Connie Angeles, and the assistant coordinator of the social service ministry, Noli Abinales, conducted an ocular visit of the landfill in Brgy. Pintong Bokawe. The group observed that beneath the leacheate pond of the said landfill, a concrete pipe was surreptiously installed to serve as drainage pipe for the leacheate thus serving as a conduit for the leacheate to flow out of the pond onto the nearby Dayrit Creek which connects to Boso-Boso River. This river is a tributary of Wawa River in Montalban which connects to Marikina River and drains to the 90,000 hectare-body of water, the Laguna de Bay.
Despite instructions of then DENR Secretary Angel Alcala in August 1993 for Metro Manila Authority to "shut down its San Mateo landfill", then President Fidel V. Ramos, on 28 August 1995 issued Proclamation No. 635 "excluding from the Marikina Watershed Reservation certain parcels of land embraced therein for use as sanitary landfill sites and similar waste disposal under the administration of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority."
The San Mateo protest march contra landfill in 1991 was replicated in 1995. This time, through the initiatives of the Social Action Center of the diocese of Antipolo, the Antipolo Homeowners Association, and the affected barangays of Antipolo. That protest action was held at Masinag junction in Antipolo City.
In December 1996, former Health Secretary and now member of the Philippine Senate, Dr. Juan Flavier, conducted an ocular inspection of the San Mateo landfill. He declared that the unabated dumping of 6,500 tons of garbage everyday at this disposal facility might result to the rise of epidemics in the area.
Two years later, in July 1999, a big protest rally was again held in Masinag junction, Antipolo City. Members of the Executive and Legislative body of the Municpality of San Mateo showed up in that mammoth gathering. Intense negotiations with the MMDA resulted to the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement duly signed by then President Joseph Estrada with the commitment that San Mateo Landfill shall be closed on 31 December 2000.
Landfills are considered as toxic time bombs. Two staffs of Greenpeace Southeast Asia based in Manila, on 16 January 2001, arranged with Noli Abinales a confidential trip to the newly shut down landfill of San Mateo. After descending the steep hills at the back end of the landfill, the three forded the waters of Boso-Boso river, then an uphill climb up to Dayrit creek. Julius and Francis of Greenpeace collected three liters of leachate-contaminataed waters of the creek. These samples were then sent by Greenpeace Southeast Asia to the University of Exeter laboratory, England. Subsequent tests and analysis revealed that the water specimen were positive for heavy metals like: cadmium, lead and mercury.
.
DEVELOPMENT AGGRESSION 4 : OPEN DUMPSITES
At Brgy. Guitnang Bayan I located in a ridge along Kambat-Maarat Road
commenced in May 2001 up to October 2002. On 07 October 2002, a trash slide
occured and burried alive two kids whose family resides along the creek at the
tail end of this open dumpsite.
At Brgy. Guitnang Bayan II located along the banks of San Mateo River. First,
it served as a Transfer Station in 1993, degenerated into an open dumpsite at
present. This dumping facility is very proximate to residential areas, the
Justice Hall of San Mateo, the Municipal Jail of San Mateo, the Municipal
Agriculure Office of San Mateo, Roosevelt High School, San Mateo, and pumping
station of Manila Water.
At Brgy.Ampid II
In November 2002, the back portion of the eastern concrete fence of Justice
Vicente Santiago Elementary School became the next open dump facility of the
town. After one and a half months of exposure to the filth and stench of this
garbage disposal facility, several teachers and students of said school
showed signs of ailment, mostly respiratory, some intestinal, and were re-
quired medical treatment.
Consequently, on 22 January 2003 classes were suspended by Dr. Rafael Ata-
nacio, Principal of the school, at 10:30 AM and at 2:30 PM due to intolera-
ble foul odor emitting from the dumpsite.
At Sitio Amianan, Brgy.Pintong Bukawe
In the mid-part of March 2003, an open dumpsite became operational one kilo-
meter away from the recently closed MMDA landfill in Pintong Bukawe. To date
(August 2006) this open dumpsite inside San Mateo's protected area is still
operational.
At Sitio Ibayo, Brgy. Maly
In 1995 a businessman from Manila began operating a dumpsite for plastic
discards from factories at a former river quarry in Sitio Ibayo, Brgy. Maly.
At the riverbanks of Brgy. Banaba
**Many constituents of Brgy. Banaba, particularly those residing very proximate
to the embankments of Nangka River, have developed the "throw away culture"
when it comes to disposing domestic solid wastes.
DEVELOPMENT AGGRESSION 5: MASSIVE LAND USE CONVERSION AND RAPID URBANIZATION
- Proposed Cement Batching Plant
Place: Tumana, Sitio Dona Pepeng, Brgy. Banaba, San Mateo
An agricultural land for vegetable growing near Marikina River
-Golf Course Project in Sitio Propito, Brgy. Malanday, San Mateo
-Farmlots subdivision in the mountainous portion of Brgy. Malanday, San Mateo
DEVELOPMENT AGGRESSION 6: COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN (CLUP) OF SAN MATEO
The CLUP of San Mateo, approved by the Sangguniang Bayan as Ordinance No. 2002-01, stipulates in part that the upland portion of San Mateo shall be opened for development. As a consequence, some 1,100 hectares of the mountainous areas of this town are earmarked for Light to Medium Industrial Zone. Volume Three of the San Mateo CLUP enumerates various businesses that would be permitted to be established in the uplands including manufacture and processing of batteries.
THE CLUP OF SAN MATEO VIS-A-VIS GEOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES- NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GEOLOGICAL STUDIES (UP-NIGS)
The rolling hills and plateau of San Mateo and the mountain areas are classified as vulnerable to landslides. This is based on a study conducted by the University of the Philippines- National Institute of Geological Studies (UP-NIGS) which dealt with the "geological baselining of the hill-based subdivisions of the Montalban, San Mateo, and Antipolo areas". The rolling hills and plateau of San Mateo is inside Zone II or Medium vulnerability area, while the mountain areas classified as Highly Vulnerable to landslide (Zone I). Zone II is characterized by slopes which mark the transition between the high hills and the floodplains. At the highly vulnerable areas to landslide in San Mateo, unfavorable factors are present: intense fracturing, very active erosion, very high internal relief, very steep slope, etc. All these characteristics make the north and norteastern part (Montalban) extending to the central (San Mateo) and southern part (Antipolo) classifiable to Zone I (highly vulnerable to landslide). The above factors indicate the rocks in these portions of San Mateo have low strength even though some areas are underlain by "hard" rocks (i.e. igneous rocks). And this zone is with the largest extent.
With the rapid urbanization obtaining in the mountains of San Mateo (classified as the Lungsod Silangan Townsite) at present, the UP-NIGS study recommends housing and subdivision developers to undertake mitigating measures, like: adequate drainage, proper orientation of slope cut with respect to the orientation of fractures, sufficient slope support, protection and cover (i.e. retaining walls, ripraps, vegetation, etc.), and sound foundation and building design. It appears now that if all the mitigating measures recommended shall be implemented, the high cost of development shall become astronomical, hence, the developers shall have a hard time selling lots and houses. To cut costs, mitigating measures are abbreviated or never undertaken at all.
UP-NIGS reminds everyone that " an area (like in San Mateo) can be gently to moderately sloping but can be prone to mass movements of materials due to the presence of aggravating conditions such as unfavorable dip of beds, soil content, saturated materials, overloading of infrastructures among others."
16 January 1973 marks the day when the demise of the hills and mountains of Dulong Bayan, San Mateo commenced, on account of this extraction of non-renewable resources. Rizcon Mining Association with office address at Manggahan, Pasig, Metro Manila, was a Quarry Permit Holder in San Mateo from 16 January 1973 to 15 January 1998. As a recognized "Placer Lease Contract Holder" of Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau - Region 4 (MGB R4), Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Rizcon produced andesite, basalt, etc, by blasting the face of Mount Mataba in Dulong Bayan.
In 1977, just four years after Rizcon has initiated its mountain quarry in 1973, this same mining company based in Pasig applied for its Mining Lease Contract at the MGB-R4. Another twenty-five year permit to quarry was granted to Rizcon at the same location of mine at Dulong Bayan to extract non-renewable resources like basalt and andesite. Rizcon enjoyed a duration of permit to quarry from 14 September 1977 to 14 September 2002.
Another Permittee, Ernest Garcia, with office address at Dulong Bayan I, location of mine at Patiis, Guinayang, Malanday, San Mateo, was granted Permit to quarry with produced commodities like basalt, andesite and filling materials from 16 March 1992 to 16 March 1997.
It is interesting to note that on that same year, 1992, the Sangguniang Bayan of San Mateo, upon the proposal of Vice Mayor and Municipal Council Presiding Officer Atty. Enrique C. Rodriguez, Jr,. approved Resolution No. 66 series of 1992 - "A Resolution stating the Position/Stand of the Sangguniang Bayan with respect to the vast track of land located/situated at Brgy. ampid, Gulod Malaya, Silangan, Malanday and Pintong Bocawe." The town council resolved to maintain the usage and classification of the above-mentioned tracts of land to be agricultural, watershed and/or reforestation and/or conservation; and further, to oppose any so-called developmental plans and activties which shall damage said mountains and which ruin the foundation and appearance of the same such as, but not limited to, subdivision development, either for residential, industrial and/or commercial purposes, and quarrying.
But in 1997, one year before the expiry of Rizcon's quarry permit which would take place in 1998 as "Placer Lease Contract Holder" of theNMGB-R4, Conrock Development Corporation, with office address at Brgy. Guinayang, San Mateo, Rizal, was issued to its favor by the Rizal Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (RPMRB), Permit to Quarry at its location of mine in Malanday, San Mateo, extracting non-renewable resources like andesite and basalt. CONROCK's duration of permit was from 28 February 1997 to 28 February 2002.
Also in 1997, the RPMRB granted Permit to Quarry in favor of Monte Rock Corporation, with office address at Dulong Bayan, San Mateo, Rizal. Its location of mine is at Dulong Bayan, San Mateo, to extract from Mount Mataba precious non-renewable basalt and andesite. Monte Rock's duration of permit is from 10 October 1997 to 10 October 2002.
Still in 1997, under "Special Mines Permit Holders" of the MGB-R4 Mines Directory, CONROCK DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION, with office address at 25 Majestic Village, Concepcion, Marikina City, Metro Manila, obtained Permit to Quarry at its location of mine in Brgys. Patiis, Guinayang and Malanday, San Mateo. Said company shall undertake this extraction of non-renewable resources from 05 June 1997 to 05 June 1998.
So far San Mateo's ecological destruction as described above has progressed thus:
twenty-five years of river quarrying, thereby upsetting the river ecosystem of San Mateo;
thrity years of mountain quarrying, damaging the mountains, forests and farmland ecosystems of this town. This extractive industry has the potential to generate large volume of sediment. If washed away into nearby waterways, they beacome source of water pollution and siltation. The major sources of sediments from quarrying are (1) stripping of topsoil and overburden, (2) waste stockpile, and (3) construction of roadways. Due to quarrying, there are four factors that contribute to the rapid soil erosion and ultimately water contamination, namely:
1.over clearing
2.long steep grade of roadway increasing velocity of run-of water
3.disturbance of loose and unstable slopes resulting to landslides and muddy road conditions
4.failure to provide control measures such as drainage structures, slope stabilization, stone surfacing and vegetative buffer zone.
quarrying involves blating the face of Mount Mataba. This creates voluminous dust, causes vibrations, loud noise, flyrocks
quarrying and rock crushing activities in San Mateo initiated major changes, such as:
1. changes in the local topography, particularly Mt. Mataba, and Patiis
2. hastens weathering
3. promotes increased siltation in affected surface water bodies
Quarrying and rock crushing activities in San Mateo resulted to eight environmental impacts:
1. increased river sediment load and changes in channel stability of their Abuab creek and Marikina River
2. Changes in the dynamics of the creek and coastline
3. Changes in the aesthetic appeal of Mt. Mataba and Patiis
4. Chemical contamination and high solid contamination with high turbidity of the Marikina River
5. Removal of topsoil and vegetative cover of Mt. Mataba
6. Dust emission
7. Blasting creates voluminous dust, causes vibrations, loud noise and flyrocks
8. Silt is being carried by surface run-off
Quarrying involves rock-crushing plants. Wastewater from the crushing process contains high solid concentration and with high turbidity has affected nearby waterways like the Abuab creek and Marikina River. Silt could also be carried by surface run-off if stockpile is not properly maintained with drainage system.
DEVELOPMENT AGGRESSION 2: DISESTABLISMENT OF SAN MATEO PROTECTED AREA
There are current maneuverings (from one pillar of society, the government, that is) leading to the eventual disestablisment or banishment of the province of Rizal from the coverage of Presidential Proclamation 1636:
Our basis for the above premise are :
in 1999, PAWD-EMPAS DENR Region 4 prepared a map of the modified coverage of the National Park, Wildlife Sanctuary and Game Preserve in the Municipalities of Real, Infanta, and General Nakar, province of Quezon;
to date ( in 2003), there are six (6) quarry permits operating within Proclamation 1636. Five (5) are in Montalban, and one (1) in San Mateo;
Resolution No. 2002-02 dated 07 January 2002, duly approved by the Sangguniang Bayan of San Mateo, indorsing Conrock Development Corporation to continue its quarry operation which is inside the protected area of Mount Mataba; (in the late 1950s, then Mayor of San Mateo, ESTEBAN FLORENCIO, led San Mateo residents in denouncing the application of some individuals for homestead rights in the forest lands of Mt. Mataba)
1st Indorsement of the late Mayor Jose F. Diaz of San Mateo, dated 08 February 2002, forwarded to then Rizal Governor Rebecca A. Ynares, indorsing the application of Conrock Development Corporation to continue its quarry operation;
2nd Indorsement of Atty. Eduardo L. Torres, Provincial Legal Officer and during that time, Vice-Chairman of PMRB of Rizal, dated 11 April 2002 to DENR RED Region 4, Samuel R. Penafiel, stating among others, for Conrock Development Corporation to continue its quarry operations in Sitio Patiis, Brgy. Guinayang, San Mateo, Rizal;
PAMB 1636-Rizal side Resolution No. 03-02 granting PAMB clearance to Conrock Development Corporation;
operation of a garbage landfill by the Metro Manila Development Authority for nine (9) years at Brgy. Pintong Bocawe, San Mateo, which is inside the Protected Area.
In a letter to then Governr of Rizal, Casimiro Ynares, expressing strong support to the continuing inclusion of Rizal province in Presidential Proclamation 1636, concerned citizens cite the following reasons:
the mountain ecosystems encompass several watersheds. Watersheds are areas with topographic divides drained by rivers and their tributaries with a common outlet. In nature and following the watershed continuum, the foothills are not the lower boundaries. They are part of watershed continuum which starts from the mountaintops to the foothills, to the lowlands and finally to the sea. In this continuum, three environments are identified, namely: mountain environment, lowland environment, and sea environment. An integrated management of mountain ecosystems includes are these three environments." (abstracted from The Watershed Continuum: Linking mountain and sea environments for Integrated Management by Dr. Severo Saplaco, UP-Los Banos Insititute of Renewable Resources).
each of the mountain/hill comprising the mountain range in Montalban, San Mateo, Angono, Tanay and Antipolo has a surface that absorbs rainwater and minimizes runoff water during heavy downpour. This reality helps in reducing the risks of flashfloods in the valleys of Rizal. However, if the distruction of mountains is unabated, the said risks will continously increase. In fact, the 01 - 04 August 1999 flashfloods, which rendered 20,000 victims/evacuees in the Montalban-San Mateo-Marikina-Cainta areas was an alarming sample;
the total surface area of the above-mentioned mountain range contains precious endemic and common flora and fauna. If this surface area is continuously bulldozed and exploited, the existing flora and fauna will become extinct. The consequences would be: carbon dioxide absorption (by the flora) from all the pollution will be significantly reduced, thus aggravating global warming, fresh supply of oxygen will necessarily be reduced too, thus, worsening the already steadily declining situation of air quality. Therefore, endangering the health of all living creatures in the province.
Development Aggression 3: Landfill inside the Protected Area
The dumping of Metro Manila's garbage in Brgy. Pintong Bokawe, San Mateo, started in February of 1991 in a 2.1 hectares of land which is within the protected area of Presidential Proclamation 1636.
Alarmed by the situation, then Municipal Councilor of San Mateo, Atty. Enrique Rodriguez, Jr., together with a Parish Youth Leader, Joel Cuevas, in tandem with the Holy Cross Chapel social action coordinator, Noli Abinales, organized a protest march along the main thoroughfares of the town in February 1991. That rally contra landfill was participated in by students, concerned citizens of San Mteo, and the mini-pastoral councils of various chapels.
Three years would pass and the MMDA landfill in San Mateo was still operational. On 19 March 1994, the Disaster Management Council and the Ecology group of the diocese of Antipolo, together with the Parish Priest, Rev. Fr. Arnel Lagarejos, Councilor Jun Endaya, Parish Pastoral Council Secretary Connie Angeles, and the assistant coordinator of the social service ministry, Noli Abinales, conducted an ocular visit of the landfill in Brgy. Pintong Bokawe. The group observed that beneath the leacheate pond of the said landfill, a concrete pipe was surreptiously installed to serve as drainage pipe for the leacheate thus serving as a conduit for the leacheate to flow out of the pond onto the nearby Dayrit Creek which connects to Boso-Boso River. This river is a tributary of Wawa River in Montalban which connects to Marikina River and drains to the 90,000 hectare-body of water, the Laguna de Bay.
Despite instructions of then DENR Secretary Angel Alcala in August 1993 for Metro Manila Authority to "shut down its San Mateo landfill", then President Fidel V. Ramos, on 28 August 1995 issued Proclamation No. 635 "excluding from the Marikina Watershed Reservation certain parcels of land embraced therein for use as sanitary landfill sites and similar waste disposal under the administration of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority."
The San Mateo protest march contra landfill in 1991 was replicated in 1995. This time, through the initiatives of the Social Action Center of the diocese of Antipolo, the Antipolo Homeowners Association, and the affected barangays of Antipolo. That protest action was held at Masinag junction in Antipolo City.
In December 1996, former Health Secretary and now member of the Philippine Senate, Dr. Juan Flavier, conducted an ocular inspection of the San Mateo landfill. He declared that the unabated dumping of 6,500 tons of garbage everyday at this disposal facility might result to the rise of epidemics in the area.
Two years later, in July 1999, a big protest rally was again held in Masinag junction, Antipolo City. Members of the Executive and Legislative body of the Municpality of San Mateo showed up in that mammoth gathering. Intense negotiations with the MMDA resulted to the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement duly signed by then President Joseph Estrada with the commitment that San Mateo Landfill shall be closed on 31 December 2000.
Landfills are considered as toxic time bombs. Two staffs of Greenpeace Southeast Asia based in Manila, on 16 January 2001, arranged with Noli Abinales a confidential trip to the newly shut down landfill of San Mateo. After descending the steep hills at the back end of the landfill, the three forded the waters of Boso-Boso river, then an uphill climb up to Dayrit creek. Julius and Francis of Greenpeace collected three liters of leachate-contaminataed waters of the creek. These samples were then sent by Greenpeace Southeast Asia to the University of Exeter laboratory, England. Subsequent tests and analysis revealed that the water specimen were positive for heavy metals like: cadmium, lead and mercury.
.
DEVELOPMENT AGGRESSION 4 : OPEN DUMPSITES
At Brgy. Guitnang Bayan I located in a ridge along Kambat-Maarat Road
commenced in May 2001 up to October 2002. On 07 October 2002, a trash slide
occured and burried alive two kids whose family resides along the creek at the
tail end of this open dumpsite.
At Brgy. Guitnang Bayan II located along the banks of San Mateo River. First,
it served as a Transfer Station in 1993, degenerated into an open dumpsite at
present. This dumping facility is very proximate to residential areas, the
Justice Hall of San Mateo, the Municipal Jail of San Mateo, the Municipal
Agriculure Office of San Mateo, Roosevelt High School, San Mateo, and pumping
station of Manila Water.
At Brgy.Ampid II
In November 2002, the back portion of the eastern concrete fence of Justice
Vicente Santiago Elementary School became the next open dump facility of the
town. After one and a half months of exposure to the filth and stench of this
garbage disposal facility, several teachers and students of said school
showed signs of ailment, mostly respiratory, some intestinal, and were re-
quired medical treatment.
Consequently, on 22 January 2003 classes were suspended by Dr. Rafael Ata-
nacio, Principal of the school, at 10:30 AM and at 2:30 PM due to intolera-
ble foul odor emitting from the dumpsite.
At Sitio Amianan, Brgy.Pintong Bukawe
In the mid-part of March 2003, an open dumpsite became operational one kilo-
meter away from the recently closed MMDA landfill in Pintong Bukawe. To date
(August 2006) this open dumpsite inside San Mateo's protected area is still
operational.
At Sitio Ibayo, Brgy. Maly
In 1995 a businessman from Manila began operating a dumpsite for plastic
discards from factories at a former river quarry in Sitio Ibayo, Brgy. Maly.
At the riverbanks of Brgy. Banaba
**Many constituents of Brgy. Banaba, particularly those residing very proximate
to the embankments of Nangka River, have developed the "throw away culture"
when it comes to disposing domestic solid wastes.
DEVELOPMENT AGGRESSION 5: MASSIVE LAND USE CONVERSION AND RAPID URBANIZATION
- Proposed Cement Batching Plant
Place: Tumana, Sitio Dona Pepeng, Brgy. Banaba, San Mateo
An agricultural land for vegetable growing near Marikina River
-Golf Course Project in Sitio Propito, Brgy. Malanday, San Mateo
-Farmlots subdivision in the mountainous portion of Brgy. Malanday, San Mateo
DEVELOPMENT AGGRESSION 6: COMPREHENSIVE LAND USE PLAN (CLUP) OF SAN MATEO
The CLUP of San Mateo, approved by the Sangguniang Bayan as Ordinance No. 2002-01, stipulates in part that the upland portion of San Mateo shall be opened for development. As a consequence, some 1,100 hectares of the mountainous areas of this town are earmarked for Light to Medium Industrial Zone. Volume Three of the San Mateo CLUP enumerates various businesses that would be permitted to be established in the uplands including manufacture and processing of batteries.
THE CLUP OF SAN MATEO VIS-A-VIS GEOLOGICAL STUDY OF THE UNIVERSITY OF THE PHILIPPINES- NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF GEOLOGICAL STUDIES (UP-NIGS)
The rolling hills and plateau of San Mateo and the mountain areas are classified as vulnerable to landslides. This is based on a study conducted by the University of the Philippines- National Institute of Geological Studies (UP-NIGS) which dealt with the "geological baselining of the hill-based subdivisions of the Montalban, San Mateo, and Antipolo areas". The rolling hills and plateau of San Mateo is inside Zone II or Medium vulnerability area, while the mountain areas classified as Highly Vulnerable to landslide (Zone I). Zone II is characterized by slopes which mark the transition between the high hills and the floodplains. At the highly vulnerable areas to landslide in San Mateo, unfavorable factors are present: intense fracturing, very active erosion, very high internal relief, very steep slope, etc. All these characteristics make the north and norteastern part (Montalban) extending to the central (San Mateo) and southern part (Antipolo) classifiable to Zone I (highly vulnerable to landslide). The above factors indicate the rocks in these portions of San Mateo have low strength even though some areas are underlain by "hard" rocks (i.e. igneous rocks). And this zone is with the largest extent.
With the rapid urbanization obtaining in the mountains of San Mateo (classified as the Lungsod Silangan Townsite) at present, the UP-NIGS study recommends housing and subdivision developers to undertake mitigating measures, like: adequate drainage, proper orientation of slope cut with respect to the orientation of fractures, sufficient slope support, protection and cover (i.e. retaining walls, ripraps, vegetation, etc.), and sound foundation and building design. It appears now that if all the mitigating measures recommended shall be implemented, the high cost of development shall become astronomical, hence, the developers shall have a hard time selling lots and houses. To cut costs, mitigating measures are abbreviated or never undertaken at all.
UP-NIGS reminds everyone that " an area (like in San Mateo) can be gently to moderately sloping but can be prone to mass movements of materials due to the presence of aggravating conditions such as unfavorable dip of beds, soil content, saturated materials, overloading of infrastructures among others."