DENR shuts crushing plants as Infanta cancels five business permits

By Nimfa L. Estrellado-Laurino Inspection personnel document conditions beside heavy crushing equipment during the field investigation o...

By Nimfa L. Estrellado-Laurino

Inspection personnel document conditions beside heavy crushing equipment during the field investigation of mineral-processing operations in Infanta. (Infanta LGU)

INFANTA, Quezon — Permit violations have halted four crushing plants and one mobile crusher in Infanta after the Department of Environment and Natural Resources issued a cease-and-desist order following an investigation into mineral-processing operations in the municipality. On the same day the order reached the local government on September 29, Mayor Lord Arnel “L.A.” Ruanto directed the cancellation of the business permits of five entities identified in the DENR findings.

Ruanto issued Memorandum No. 2026-393 after months of coordination that began when the municipal government sought a DENR investigation into quarrying and crushing operations in June 2026. The Business Permits and Licensing Section was ordered to implement the cancellations at the identified facilities, while the Municipal Environment and Natural Resources Office was furnished a copy for appropriate action.

Covered by the directive were Reina Readymix Construction OPC, Ultrarocks Corporation, Frepa Aggregates Trading, MCDC Hauling Services/Gravel and Sand and Sta. Clara International Corporation. The five entities were linked to four crushing plants and one mobile crusher examined during the DENR field investigation conducted on September 9 and 10.

A Composite Monitoring Team created under DENR Regional Special Order No. 317 carried out the two-day inspection as part of the agency’s review of mineral-processing activities in Infanta. According to the municipal memorandum, investigators found that the facilities lacked the mineral-processing authority required for the operations examined by the team.

The case centers on Republic Act No. 7942, or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, and the regulations governing mineral processing. The memorandum stated that the Environmental Compliance Certificates and Industrial Sand and Gravel Permits held by the concerned operators did not, under the circumstances documented by investigators, provide sufficient authority for the processing activities involved.

Section 109 of DENR Administrative Order No. 2010-21 generally requires a Mineral Processing Permit, although an approved production work program may serve as authority for qualified contractors and holders of quarry or industrial sand and gravel permits. The findings cited by the municipality nevertheless determined that the five operations did not possess the required authority for the crushing and processing activities covered by the investigation.

Ruanto said the action followed coordination among the Infanta government, the Quezon provincial government and DENR rather than an immediate response based solely on complaints. It maintained that concerns raised by residents were addressed through the prescribed investigation and administrative process before the shutdown and permit cancellations were carried out.

“Sa patuloy at matagal nang pagtutulungan ng lokal na pamahalaan, pamahalaang panlalawigan at DENR, idinaan sa tamang proseso ang mga pagsusuri at pagpapatigil ng operasyon ng mga ito. Nakikinig ang lokal na pamahalaan sa taumbayan, kung kaya't sa tama at angkop na pamamaraan, patuloy na tinutugunan ang responsableng quarrying at paggamit ng likas na yaman sa Infanta,” the mayor said.

Environmental protection and public safety also formed part of the municipality’s position as it addressed quarrying operations that had existed in Infanta before the Ruanto administration. The local government said its approach is to require responsible use of natural resources while ensuring that regulatory action rests on documented findings and proper legal process.

“Kailanman ay hindi nagpapabaya ang lokal na pamahalaan sa pangangalaga ng kalikasan at seguridad ng mamamayan. Bago pa man ang administrasyon ni Mayor LA Ruanto ay malaki na ang operasyon ng quarrying sa bayan subalit hindi nawawala ang kaniyang pagtutok upang magkaroon ng responsableng paggamit ng likas na yaman,” Ruanto added.

The shutdown now places the five affected operations under closer scrutiny as Infanta moves to enforce tighter oversight of quarrying and mineral-processing activities within the municipality. The case also signals that future operations face the same test of regulatory compliance before they can resume or continue extracting and processing mineral resources.