CHAPTER I

INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Quarry is an area from which rocks such as marble, limestone, and granite are

extracted for industrial purposes (McCandless, 2013). It is also referred to as “surface

mine”, “pit”, “open pit”, or “opencast mine”. The term “quarrying” is derived from the

Latin word “quadraria”, which means a place where stones are extracted. Quarrying is the

process of obtaining quarry resources such as nonmetallic rocks and aggregates found on

or below the land surface.

The methods of quarrying vary depending on the type of stones, purpose, and the

type of its geological formation. The oldest method of quarrying is the usage of hand

tools which are still used for soft stones occurring in large or small blocks. Another

method is quarrying by ballast including digging and excavating, heating, and wedging.

In addition, quarrying by use of channeling machine utilizes steam, compressed air. or

electricity to make vertical or oblique grooves or channels on the rock mass.

Furthermore, the modern and common method of quarrying is through blasting. It is used

to loosen large blocks of rocks and not to violently blow up the whole mass to convert it

into pieces (Chauhan, 2020).

Quarrying plays a pivotal role in the socio-economic development of many

countries by contributing to economic growth, alleviating poverty, and improving

livelihood in local communities. This is prevalent in rural and peri-urban areas. The rapid

change in building and infrastructure development has increased demand for rock-based
construction materials resulting to an increased activity in quarrying as well (Langer,

2001; Tanyaradzwa, 2017). It has increased availability of construction material in form

of stone aggregates, stone dust, cement and building lime. Moreover, it is associated with

increased tax base for the government, better standards of living, increased incomes, and

employment opportunities for the local population (Tanyaradzwa, 2010).

However, such economic benefits brought by stone quarrying come at the expense

of environment. The extraction of minerals becomes a source of vibration, dust, and noise

pollution and negatively affects the landscape. It is a form of land development that,

similarly to urbanization, disrupts and re-makes places (Bebbington & Bebbington,

2018). Intensive quarrying operations result in a change of landform, biodiversity loss,

reduced agricultural lands, habitat destruction, air pollution, and loss of aesthetic value

(Endalew et al., 2019; Lameed & Ayodele, 2010; Hamza & Kanyama, 2016). Deaths,

injuries, chest pains, and respiratory-related ailments are some of the health concerns

associated with stone quarrying activities (Lad & Samant, 2014). According to Langer

(2001), approximately 4 million people in the whole world die each year from acute

respiratory problems in developing countries due to aggravation by environmental

pollution emanating from quarrying, sandblasting and emission of dangerous chemicals.

Furthermore, quarrying as an occupation degrades the environment and worsens the

plight of the poor (Brajesh, 2008).

In the Philippines, quarrying activities are allowed in accordance with the

Philippine Mining Act of 1995. This act was passed to maintain the utilization of

minerals as a development option, on the condition that mining shall be undertaken

within sound environmental framework, consistent with the principles of sustainable

development. There are many quarry sites found throughout the country including areas

in Davao, Bulacan, Pangasinan, Batangas, Misamis Oriental, Iligan, Zambales, Negros

Occidental, and Lanao del Sur (Esguerra et. al., 2008).

In Lanao del Sur, particularly in Bacolod Kalawi, quarrying operations are

evident yet there is no current research on the socio-economic and environmental impact

of quarrying in the area. This prompted the researcher to delve into the positive and

negative effects of quarrying in the study area.

Statement of the Problem

Philippines is rich in resources including mineral resources. Quarrying activities

are prevalent in the country including Bacolod Kalawi, Lanao del Sur. It serves as a

source of livelihood and broadens the income base of residents and workers thereby

alleviating the level of poverty in the area. However, quarrying is inherently disruptive to

the environment. According to Sati (2015) and Ming’ate and Mohamed, 2016), quarrying

whether large-scale or small-scale is detrimental to the environment and its disruptive

effects are amplified when inappropriate and wasteful practices are undertaken as well as

inadequate rehabilitation measures. It poses threat to the environment and people residing

within or near areas where stone quarrying occurs. Furthermore, the availability of such

resources is a potential root cause for social conflict when it is unequally distributed. . A

study conducted by Jepchumba (2017) uncovered social issues occasioned by stone

quarrying.
 Hence, this study aimed to examine the environment and socio-economic the

impact of quarrying in Barangay Madanding, Bacolod-Kalawi, Lanao del Sur. It sought

to answer the following questions:

1. What is the sociodemographic profile of the respondents?

2. What are the perceived environmental and socio-economic impacts of quarrying

in the study area?

3. What is the perception of respondents towards quarrying?

4. Is there a significant relationship between the perceived environmental and socio-

economic impact of quarrying and residents’ perception?

Null Hypothesis (Ho): There is no significant relationship between the perceived socio-

economic and environmental impact of quarrying and residents’ perception.

Objective of the Study

The main objective of this study was to determine the environmental and socio-

economic impact of stone quarrying in Barangay Madanding, Bacolod Kalawi, Lanao del

Sur. It aimed the following:

1. To identify the socio-demographic profile of the respondents.

2. To determine the perceived environmental and socio-economic impact of

quarrying in the study area.

3. To assess the perception of respondents towards quarrying.

4. To compare the perceived environmental and socio-economic impact of quarrying

and residents’ perceptions.

 Significance of the Study

The prevalence of quarrying despite its detrimental effects to the environment

posits the need to delve into the impact of quarrying operations. The potential of

quarrying in Bacolod Kalawi is already recognized as operations are underway, yet its

effects to the environment and socio-economy are scarcely studied. This study serves as

an eye opener for the community on the inherent disruptive effects of quarrying as an

expense to the economic benefit. This study could urge the local government unit of the

study area to mitigate the effects of quarrying operations. Furthermore, this study also

serves as a point of reference for future researchers inclined in the study of quarrying.

Scope and Limitations

This study covered the environmental and socio-economic impact of quarrying in

Barangay Madanding, Bacolod Kalawi. It focused on both positive and negative effects

of quarrying. Quarry workers and people residing proximal to the quarry area were

included as respondents of the study. This study was limited on social assessment;

including perceptions, and no geological and environmental assessment were conducted.

This study did not include other factors contributing to the degradation of environment

and socio-economic factors not related with quarrying. Due to time constraints, the study

was conducted from February to April 2023.

 Conceptual Framework

Figure 1 represents the conceptual model of this study. To determine the

perceived impacts of stone quarrying in the locality of Madanding Bacolod-Kalawi,

Lanao del Sur. The independent variables are the socio-economic condition and

perceived environmental impacts of the respondents. Hence, the socio-demographic

profile of the respondents includes (i) age, (ii) sex, (iii) highest educational attainment,

(iv)marital status, (v) household size (vi) length of Residency (vii) source of livelihood

(viii) monthly Income. Furthermore, the results and findings would be the basis for the

appropriate management of the stone quarry in the area.

SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE
Age
Sex
Highest Education Attainment
Marital Status PERCEIVED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT OF QUARRYING
Household Size Air Pollutants
Length of Residency Noise
Source of livelihood
Monthly Income

QUARRYING IN BARANGAY MADANDING, BACOLOD-KALAWI LANAO DEL SUR

IMPLICATION OF THE RESPONSES OF THE LOCAL

Figure 1. Conceptual Framework

 Operational Definition of Terms

Quarry is an area from which rocks such as marble, limestone, and granite are

extracted for industrial purposes (McCandless, 2013). It is a type of mine called an open-

pit mine because it opens to the Earth’s surface (National Geographic, 2020). In this

study, the quarry of interest is situated in Barangay Madanding, Bacolod Kalawi, Lanao

del Sur.

Environmental means relating to or caused by the surroundings in which someone

lives or something exists (Collins, 2023). The natural environment is formed by the

interwoven systems of atmosphere, oceans, watercourses, land, ice cover and biosphere.

Life depends on a healthy planet, yet the environment is threatened by human activities

(World Meteorological Organization, 2022). In this study, the impact of quarrying

activities on the physical environment and nature in the study area was assessed by the

social perceptions of the respondents.

Socio-economic The term socio-economic refer to the interaction between the

social and economic habits of a group of people. The prefix socio- refers to "the study of

the behaviors of people," including the ways they interact with one another or their

family structures. The word economic refers to the economy, such as people’s income

and finances (Vocabulary.com, 2022). In this study, the impact of quarrying on social

relationships, health, and economy of the residents in the study area was assessed.
 Stone crushing this refers to the crushing of rocks or larger aggregates to produce

smaller particles for constructions and other uses (Jorge, 2020). In this study, this is one

of the processes under stone quarrying that has socio-economic and environmental

impact to the respondents at Barangay Madanding, Bacolod Kalawi Lanao del Sur.

Socio-demographics refer to a combination of social and demographic factors that

define people in a specific group or population (Formplus, 2023). It refers to the

characteristics of population. In this study, the researcher gathered information on the

profile of the respondents such as age, sex, civil status, higher educational attainment,

household size, length of residency, annual income and source of income in Barangay

Madanding, Bacolod Kalawi Lanao del Sur.

Environmental Impact it is the effect of human activity on the environment in the

form of creating environmental imbalance (Mutual Association of Owners of Rural

Properties in Spain, 2020). Stone quarrying can have adverse effects on the environment.

In this study, the environmental impact of stone quarrying was examined including its

damages and severity in Barangay Madanding, Bacolod Kalawi, Lanao del Sur.