Environmental groups and fisherfolk affected by the flooding in Rizal when typhoon Enteng hit trooped to Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) yesterday, September 11. They called for the immediate cancellation of all quarrying and mining permits in the province. They said the excessive deforestation by quarrying and mining is one of the major reasons for the rapid rise of water and widespread flooding on September 2.

During the height of Typhoon Enteng, floods and landslides occured in several areas in Antipolo City. Cainta, Teresa, Tanay and Pililia were also flooded. As many as 8,306 families or 31,677 individuals were affected by the flood.

Ferdinand Marcos and the local government of Rizal, particularly the mayor of Antipolo, Casimiro Ynares III, feigned ignorance for the causes of the flooding.

In 2020, the DENR was forced to suspend quarrying in Rizal when the Marikina River was inundated and flooded the National Capital Region due to the rain brought by Typhoon Ulysses. Sixteen quarry operations in Rodriguez and three on Baras were identified as the culprits. Their operations covered 4,964 hectares in the mountains of the province. But after a few months, the DENR reinstated their permits and absolved them.

Rizal is the second province with the most mining agreements in the Philippines. It has 30 Mineral Production Sharing Agreements (MPSA), following Cebu with 35. The scope of mine operations in Rizal is 6,214.43 hectares, of which 5,560 hectares are active.

Antipolo, with 15 MPSAs, has the most number of mining operations, which is half of the operations in all of Rizal.

Quarry companiens mine minerals or stones for construction, mainly silica, basalt, aggregates, limestone and marble. This is driven by demand for large infrastructure projects contracted by the government, for the benefit of bureaucrat-capitalists.

The largest mining operation in Rizal is the Rapid City Realty and Development Corporation, whose president is Veronica Yñiguez. It has nine operational areas covering a total of 2,952.51 hectares, mostly in the town of Teresa, as well as in Baras and Antipolo. It excavates mainly rocks and sand.

There is also the Holcim Mining and Development Corporation that has mined gold in 654.17 hectares in Antipolo, Rizal since 2008, although the license was canceled in 2023. It is owned by Renato Baja, who has also invested in other mining companies.

The following companies are also included: