Village representatives get their share of the extraction fees payment on April 22, 2026 at the Capitol Session Hall. A total of PHP5.06 million in extraction fees has been paid this year from river dredging. (Photo courtesy of the provincial government of Ilocos Norte)
LAOAG CITY －Residents living near the Bislak River received another round of livelihood aid courtesy of Harbor Star Shipping Servicing Inc., a private contractor with an exclusive permit to dredge around 26 kilometers of the heavily silted river along the towns of Vintar and Bacarra.
The provincial government, led by Ilocos Norte Governor Cecilia Araneta-Marcos, confirmed this on Friday following the release of PHP5.06 million in extraction fees from river dredging this year.
“We are happy to receive our shares as per the 2020 Revised Revenue Code of Ilocos Norte to support community projects, improve infrastructure and strengthen environmental management efforts,” she said in a statement.
Of the total amount, at least 40 percent or PHP2.02 million share in the extraction fees will directly benefit 16 barangays in Bacarra and 14 barangays in Vintar; each will receive a corresponding share, according to Provincial Quarry Office coordinator Meliton Agpaoa.
Like in the previous payment of extraction fees since 2023, the host communities have been receiving various livelihood aid, including fattening cattle to boost livestock production in the province.
The provincial government has also received a 30 percent share, or PHP1.5 million, and another 30 percent, shared by the host municipalities of Bacarra and Vintar.
The Bislak River restoration project will take a span of 10 years, from 2023, when the private contractor was granted a permit from the government.
The agreement adheres to Administrative Order No. 2020-07 of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), which requires only registered companies with technical and financial capacities for large-scale flood control operations to apply for a dredging clearance with the Department of Public Works and Highways.
The order also states that private contractors will cover all expenses of dredging operations in river dredging zones (RDZ) identified by the local governments. The DENR notes that as private companies shoulder the costs, the firms are allowed to get minerals they may recover during the operations, “provided it pays the required national and local taxes.”
For the host communities, dredging of the heavily silted river works to their advantage as it boosts livelihood and at the same time it will help mitigate flooding in the low-lying communities. (PNA)
