In Batangas, residents near Mt. Malipunyo have watched flooding grow worse in recent years, and many point to the same cause: quarrying that has stripped vegetation from the mountainside. A DENR field investigation on 1 August 2025 confirmed that quarrying operations are active under a permit granted by the Batangas provincial government in November 2022. The connection between quarrying and flooding is not just local — it reflects a pattern seen across the country, where the removal of forest cover and topsoil transforms once-absorbent landscapes into surfaces that shed rainwater directly into rivers.
Mt. Malipunyo is part of a watershed that feeds the Calumpang and Pansipit rivers. With less forest cover, more rainwater — and more silt — ends up in those waterways. The silt builds up, reducing the rivers’ capacity to carry water, so they overflow faster during storms. This is not a hypothetical risk. It is what residents in Batangas towns have been experiencing, and what environmental advocates have been warning about for years. The same dynamic plays out in other quarrying areas, including the Buayan River System in General Santos City, where a study documented increased dust levels, soil erosion, and changes in water quality that have affected both the local ecosystem and residents’ health. If you live near a quarry site or a river that receives runoff from one, the flooding and air quality issues you notice are likely connected to the same root cause.
What quarrying does to air and water that most people don’t see
The most straightforward way to understand quarrying’s impact is to follow the path of a raindrop. On a forested mountain, that drop hits leaves and soil, gets absorbed, and slowly feeds into groundwater. On a quarry site, the same drop hits bare rock or loose dirt, picks up sediment, and runs straight into the nearest river. That sediment — silt — is the problem. It settles on riverbeds, raising the water level and reducing the river’s capacity. When a storm hits, the river overflows faster and with more force. A civil engineer involved in Batangas’ flood control projects put it plainly: “If we don’t restore the watershed, the floods will only get worse. You can build the biggest drainage systems you want, but if water is barreling down from a bare mountain, you’re fighting a losing battle.”
The air side of the equation is less visible but just as consequential. Quarry operations — drilling, blasting, crushing, and hauling — generate dust that contains respirable particulate matter. The General Santos City study documented that dust levels increased significantly near quarry sites, and residents within the 500-meter study radius reported health effects. This is not a problem confined to the quarry itself. Wind carries fine particles into nearby barangays, schools, and farms. If you live downwind of a quarry, you may be breathing air that contains rock dust, silica, and other particles that can irritate the lungs over time. The same study also found that water quality changed in ways that affected both the ecosystem and residents’ health, though the specific contaminants were not detailed in the published abstract.
How quarrying permits work — and where enforcement falls short
The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) is the primary agency responsible for issuing and monitoring quarrying permits. In the case of Mt. Malipunyo, the Batangas provincial government granted a permit to Makiling Construction Ventures Corp. in November 2022. A DENR field investigation on 1 August 2025 confirmed that the project was operating under that permit. But the existence of a permit does not guarantee that operations are environmentally safe. The General Santos City study identified weaknesses in enforcement, fee systems, and monitoring as key regulatory gaps. In other words, permits are issued, but the follow-through — checking whether companies are actually complying with environmental conditions — is inconsistent.
What does weak enforcement look like in practice? It means that a company may be required to implement dust control measures, maintain buffer zones, or rehabilitate mined areas — but if no one checks, those requirements may be ignored. It also means that fee structures may not reflect the true cost of environmental damage. The study recommended updating fee structures and strengthening enforcement, which suggests that current fees are too low to fund proper monitoring or rehabilitation. For residents, this translates into a situation where the economic benefits of quarrying — jobs, infrastructure materials — are visible and immediate, while the environmental costs are deferred and diffuse.
There is also a coordination problem. In a letter dated 8 August 2025, the DENR-MGB Region IV encouraged local government units to coordinate and support local monitoring efforts. That phrasing — “encouraged” — hints at the gap. Local governments have the authority to enforce ordinances, but they may lack the technical expertise, funding, or political will to do so consistently. The result is a patchwork of oversight where some quarries are monitored closely and others operate with minimal scrutiny.
What gets missed in the quarrying debate
Most discussions about quarrying focus on jobs versus the environment, but that framing misses several important nuances. Here are three that deserve more attention.
The timing of flood risk is shifting
Flooding from quarry-affected watersheds is not just a problem during major typhoons. Because siltation reduces river capacity, even moderate rainfall can cause overflow. This means that communities downstream of quarry sites face flood risk more frequently than they did before quarrying began. The Batangas case illustrates this: residents report that flooding has worsened over the past decade, even during storms that would not have caused significant flooding before. If you live in a flood-prone area near a quarry, the threshold for danger has effectively been lowered.
Health effects are not limited to dust inhalation
While dust is the most visible air quality issue, quarrying can also affect water sources used for drinking and irrigation. The General Santos City study documented changes in water quality, though the specific parameters were not detailed in the published abstract. However, it is reasonable to infer that sediment runoff, fuel spills from equipment, and chemical residues from blasting can all find their way into groundwater and surface water. For households that rely on wells or rivers for drinking water, this is a direct health concern that goes beyond air quality.
Rehabilitation is rarely done well
Quarrying permits typically require companies to rehabilitate the land after operations end. But rehabilitation is expensive, technically challenging, and often poorly executed. A mined-out quarry that is simply left as a barren pit or a stagnant water body does not recover its original ecological function. The watershed remains compromised, and the flood risk persists. The General Santos City study recommended implementing sustainable quarrying practices, but did not specify what those practices should look like. In practice, effective rehabilitation requires recontouring the land, replacing topsoil, planting native vegetation, and monitoring the site for years — steps that are rarely fully completed.
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| Impact Category | Environmental Effect | Socioeconomic Effect | Regulatory Finding |
|---|---|---|---|
| Air Quality | Increased dust levels | Health concerns for nearby residents | Weak enforcement of dust control |
| Water Quality | Changes in water quality, soil erosion | Affects drinking and irrigation sources | Fee systems inadequate for monitoring |
| Landscape | Loss of forest cover, siltation of rivers | Increased flood risk, infrastructure damage | Rehabilitation requirements poorly enforced |
| Community | Biodiversity loss | Job creation but weak training programs | Community engagement deficiencies |
What residents and local governments can do about quarrying impacts
If you live in a community affected by quarrying, or if you are a local official trying to manage the trade-offs, there are concrete steps that can make a difference. These are not hypothetical — they are drawn from the findings of the General Santos City study and the ongoing situation in Batangas.
Demand and support local monitoring
The DENR-MGB Region IV letter specifically encouraged local government units to coordinate and support local monitoring efforts. This means that residents can push their barangay and municipal officials to form or join monitoring teams. These teams can visit quarry sites, check for compliance with permit conditions, and report violations. The key is to make monitoring routine rather than reactive. If your LGU does not have a monitoring team, ask why. If it does, ask how often it meets and whether its findings are made public. Grassroots monitoring efforts have proven effective in other environmental contexts in the Philippines, and quarry oversight is no different.
Push for updated fee structures
The General Santos City study identified fee systems as a weakness. If quarrying fees are too low, they do not cover the cost of monitoring or rehabilitation. Local governments can review and adjust these fees to reflect the true environmental cost of quarrying. This is not a popular move with quarry operators, but it is a necessary one. Higher fees can fund better enforcement and ensure that rehabilitation actually happens. Residents can raise this issue in public consultations or through their Sangguniang Bayan representatives.
Advocate for watershed restoration, not just flood control infrastructure
Dredging rivers and upgrading drainage are important, but they treat the symptom, not the cause. The civil engineer quoted in the Batangas report made this point explicitly: flood control infrastructure alone will not solve the problem if the watershed is degraded. Local governments should allocate resources for reforestation and slope stabilization in quarry-affected areas. This is a long-term investment, but it is the only way to restore the land’s natural ability to absorb rainwater. Community-based education programs can also help residents understand the link between upland quarrying and lowland flooding, building public support for restoration efforts.
Hold companies accountable for rehabilitation
Quarrying permits usually include a rehabilitation bond or requirement. But if no one checks whether rehabilitation is actually done, companies may walk away from degraded land. Local governments can require periodic rehabilitation reports, conduct site inspections before permits are renewed, and impose penalties for non-compliance. If a company has not started rehabilitation within a reasonable timeframe, the LGU can withhold permit renewal or refer the case to the DENR for enforcement action.
Frequently asked questions about quarrying and its effects
Does quarrying always cause flooding? ▾
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Is there a way to quarry without causing environmental damage? ▾
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What to watch for next
The situation at Mt. Malipunyo is not resolved. Calls to suspend quarrying there are growing, and the DENR has acknowledged the need for better coordination between local governments. Whether that leads to actual suspension or stricter enforcement remains to be seen. For residents in other quarry-affected areas, the Batangas case is a useful reference point — it shows what happens when monitoring is reactive rather than proactive, and it highlights the gap between having a permit and operating responsibly. The most practical takeaway is this: if you live near a quarry, pay attention to how your local government handles monitoring and enforcement. That is where the difference between a manageable operation and a long-term environmental problem is decided. If this was useful, you might also want to read how the waste management crisis compounds environmental risks in Philippine communities.
Sources
Manila’s pollution maze: urban challenges — Explores how urban development and industrial activity contribute to air and water pollution in metropolitan areas.
Filipino fish have mercury problems — Examines how industrial runoff and mining affect water quality and food safety in Philippine fisheries.
Mt. Malipunyo quarrying worsens Batangas floods. Daily Tribune, August 2025.
Environmental and socioeconomic impacts of quarry operations in General Santos City. Ejournals.ph, 2025.
