Duterte-era Cagayan River dredging halted due to poor market conditions

Malacañang announced on Tuesday that dredging operations in the Cagayan River ceased in 2023 due to poor market conditions for dredge materials and currently there are no ongoing operations.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro cited a statement from the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) regional office, confirming that private sector dredging activities had stopped by 2023.

Fisherfolk group Pamalakaya blamed former President Rodrigo Duterte for the decline in fish catch, attributing it to massive dredging operations during his term.

Pamalakaya claimed that the river dredging project initiated under Duterte's presidency caused significant damage to the local fishing industry and allowed Chinese companies to carry out activities under the guise of rehabilitation.

The dredging project began in February 2021 as part of the Duterte government's initiative to mitigate flooding in the region.