A CEASE and desist order (CDO) has been issued against property developers of a subdivision project in Angono, Rizal, after the discovery of illegal quarrying activities in the area, said the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Environmental Management Bureau (DENR-EMB) in Region 4A (Calabarzon) on Thursday.
The area is part of the Village East II Residential Subdivision Project. While the project holds a number of permits, these do not include quarrying — the extraction of materials such as common rocks, sand, gravel — which requires a quarry permit (QP) subject to certain regulations.
Illegal quarrying causes severe degradation of the soil, air, and water, which could lead to landslides, loss of biodiversity, and destruction of river ecosystems.
The DENR sent out the CDO on Jan. 20, following an enforcement operation which confirmed illegal mineral extraction in the subdivision project.
The operation was prompted by reports aired on a television program in August 2025, which led to validation, monitoring, and surveillance by the DENR.
Authorities confirmed the unauthorized extraction of earth materials, including the operation of mobile crushers, as well as the hauling of materials to a dumping site near a materials recovery facility along the Taytay-Angono road in Barangay Kalayaan.
Seized were equipment and materials at the site, including heavy machinery, trucks, and significant volumes of stockpiled and processed aggregates amounting to over P133 million.
Several individuals were arrested after being caught operating the equipment.
The DENR, which took custody of the confiscated items, also ordered the property developers to submit compliance documents, including an affidavit of undertaking as a commitment to follow the directives and recommendations of the agency, as well as a detailed report on measures to correct and prevent similar incidents.
The following day, an inquest was filed against the involved companies and equipment operators before the provincial prosecutor of Rizal.
Respondents face charges for violation of Section 103 of Republic Act 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995, which penalizes unauthorized extraction and disposal of mineral resources.
The enforcement operation was carried out by a team from the DENR Region 4A, Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office (Penro) Rizal, Mines and Geosciences Bureau in Region 4A (MGB 4A), EMB 4A, and Environmental Law Enforcement and Protection Service (Eleps), in coordination with the National Bureau of Investigation-Rizal District Office.