CEBU CITY – Bohol’s income from quarrying and sand operations have increased significantly under the administration of Gov. Aris Aumentado.

Aumentado reported that since 2022 when he earned his first term as governor, the province’s income from quarrying and sand operations has reached P141 million.

The figures are as of October this year.

Aumentado said the collection is a record increase from the P15 million collected during the previous administration and only P5 million in earlier years.

Aumentado attributed the increase to major reforms in the province’s mining and quarrying sector through the efforts of the Bohol Mineral Resources Regulatory Office (BMinRRO) and the Bohol Environmental Protection Task Force (BEPTF).

The governor discussed the province’s significant gains in the industry during a recent episode of “Aris sa Katawhan: Takna sa Gobernador.”

“Ing-ana kami ka seryoso aning dapita kay gusto namo nga ang income sa province through sa quarry and sand operation, mosulod gyud sa kaban sa gobyerno (That is how serious we are in this aspect because we want to make sure that the income of the province through quarry and sand operations will really go to the purse of the government),” the governor said.

The increased collection also directly benefits local governments.

Based on data from the BMinRRO, a total of P52.22 million has been given directly to barangays as their share from sand and gravel collections.

On top of this, another P44.18 million has been turned over to municipalities where these operations are located.

“It has a big impact on the barangays and the local government units because it’s an additional income for them,” Aumentado underscored.

Retired Col. Eduardo Malig-on, head of the BEPTF, emphasized that the enforcement of mining and quarrying laws has been fair and transparent.

“The order of the governor is to be fair, no favoritism and no political colors in our enforcement,” he said.

The BEPTF has two enforcement teams doing inspections and checkpoints on quarrying operations within the province.

Part of their mandate is to ensure that all quarry operations comply with designated boundaries and environmental safeguards, with violators facing corresponding penalties.

The team also strictly checks delivery receipts (DRs) of trucks carrying sand and gravel. Trucks found with no DRs are impounded and only released when obligations and fines are settled.