Residents in Brgy. Talabaan, Mamburao, Occidental Mindoro continue to urge the provincial government to immediately suspend dredging activities following reports that fish catches have significantly decreased.
Dredging, which removes silt, sand, and other sediments, began in 2022 under the PERRC Construction and Development Corp. for the Pagbahan River Dredging Project to prevent river flooding.
But after three years, the vessels started digging away beyond the designated river estuary and instead openly dredged the sea in front of the barangay. This alarmed the residents, especially the fisherfolk, whose livelihoods were greatly affected by the vessels’ 18-hour operation.
“Simula noong Feb. 2025, tumigil na sa paglaot ang mga mangingisda dahil wala nang halos mahuli dahil sa paghuhukay ng buhangin at ingay na ginagawa sa ilalim ng dagat,” Mindoro Forum Network, a multisectoral organization in the province, reported.
In a prayer rally held by fisherfolk in the barangay, they shared that the seawater has become murky, as dredging usually disturbs seabed sediments, suspending the mud and silt particles, per a study by Emil Rydin, a professor at Stockholm University.
“Ayaw ng pusit ng malabo. Ayaw ng pusit ng maingay. Ito (palakaya) po ay galing sa laot. Ang dapat po na laman nito ay pusit, pero ang laman nito ngayon ay putik galing sa barko,” Sonnyboy Tañedo, a fisherman, said during the protest.
Since the ships started dredging close to the shore of the barangay, fisherfolk need to sail farther to catch enough fish to support their families, requiring 10–15 liters of gasoline instead of the usual 2–3 liters.
Mamburao is not the only town in Occidental Mindoro suffering from the effects of dredging projects. In Brgy. Malawaan in the town of Rizal, two crew members died while 10 remain missing after a dredging ship overturned before departing to Manila on April 15. Meanwhile, Santa Cruz, a town near Mamburao, is now facing the same problems as Brgy. Talabaan, following the start of dredging operations in the area.
Despite being given an Environmental Compliance Certificate, which requires a public consultation with the affected community, the dredging master plan still cannot be accessed by the residents. Several residents also shared that they were not invited to any consultation prior to the implementation of the project.
The certificate is issued by the Department of Natural Resources after a thorough inspection and communication of the environmental consequences and proposed solutions of a specific project. Without this, the project would not be given its permit to operate.
Now, residents are forced to endure the presence of multiple dredging vessels and the subsequent noise and pollution from their operations.
“Masakit na po sa bungo at buong katawan. Kada may operasyon, halos magkasabay ang apat hanggang walong barko. Hindi na po nakakapagpahinga nang maayos ang mga bata at matatanda,” Mara Mae Laudiangco, a resident of Brgy. Talabaan, said in a posted video.
While the local government unit of Santa Cruz declared that it did not issue permits for dredging, the provincial government, headed by Gov. Eduardo Gadiano, approved the operations. Mamburao, on the other hand, issued a cease and desist order on Feb. 24, but it was lifted by the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office on Mar. 6, allowing the project to push through even with complaints.
“Magising tayo sa katotohanan at huwag tayong magbingi-bingihan. Maawa po kayo sa tao. Dapat kami ay namumuhay ng mapayapa at maunlad pero hindi kami namumuhay ng ganiyan,” the Mindoro Forum Network said. ●
