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Stop black sand mining: Sen. Raffy Tulfo urges the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to stop the rampant black sand mining in the country by issuing a department order stopping all its operations. During Monday’s deliberation November 20, 2023 on the proposed 2024 DENR budget, Tulfo cited the black sand mining operations in Zambales, Cagayan, Ilocos, Mindoro, among other areas in the country. “Why are we not doing anything... the DENR to stop this (black sand mining). They posed as dredging and quarrying but the reality is they are operating as black sand miners,” Tulfo said. “If the DENR secretary is really pro-environment, I challenged her to issue a department order to stop the rampant black sand mining,” Tulfo added. In response, Sen. Cynthia A. Villar, sponsor of the DENR budget, said the agency vowed to issue a department order to ban the operations of black sand mining companies throughout the country. (Bibo Nueva España/Senate PRIB)