BAYOMBONG, Nueva Vizcaya — Soaring prices of sand and gravel, the core aggregates in concrete used for roads, public works, and housing, are weighing on government construction projects and consumers across Nueva Vizcaya, prompting the Provincial Mining Regulatory Board (PMRB) to call for tighter safeguards and an overhaul of the province's quarry-tax ordinance.

Under Resolution No. 2026-04, approved on Sept. 24, the Nueva Vizcaya PMRB asked the Sangguniang Panlalawigan, the provincial legislature that enacts local ordinances, to review and amend the existing ordinance governing taxes on quarry materials, arguing that it must keep pace with prevailing market conditions and respond to concerns over steadily escalating prices.

The provincial mining board said the price increases have already taken a toll on government-funded construction projects, as well as on consumers who rely on sand and gravel for building and other needs, with the higher material costs feeding directly into project budgets and construction expenses. It cited a market-scoping study conducted by the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office as the basis for its proposed regulatory measures.

Governor Jose V. Gambito, who serves as vice-chairman of the PMRB, pressed for the amendments during the board's third-quarter meeting. He also raised the possible use of the provincial government's police power — its authority to regulate in the interest of public welfare — to help ease the impact of the price increases while provincial lawmakers work on a longer-term solution.

The PMRB, chaired by Mines and Geosciences Bureau Regional Director Mario A. Ancheta, noted that under Philippine Competition Commission guidelines, higher prices do not automatically indicate anti-competitive behavior by quarry operators. Even so, it stressed that the situation warrants government action, as the fair market value set under the existing ordinance — the reference point for quarry taxation and pricing in the province — has failed to keep retail prices from rising.

The board urged the provincial council to consider requiring quarry concessionaires to justify price increases and to adopt measures promoting fair pricing and transparency, saying the steps are meant to protect consumers and ensure that the rising cost of basic construction materials does not further burden the public.

How the Sangguniang Panlalawigan acts on Resolution No. 2026-04 will determine whether the proposed safeguards — from price-justification requirements to fair-pricing and transparency measures — move from board recommendation into provincial ordinance. — Artemio A. Dumlao