DENR Says Pax Silica Lacks Any EIA Filing

House Committee Probes the Tarlac Silica Hub

The House Committee on Ecology, chaired by Representative Antonio "Tony" Dela Cruz, opened the session by asking Cuna to clarify the status of the Pax Silica hub, a $250 million silica processing complex slated to serve export markets in East Asia.

Dela Cruz noted that the project was first announced in 2024, promising 1,200 jobs and a boost to the regional economy, but that no environmental clearance has been recorded.

Sources confirmed that the committee's staff has requested all correspondence between Pax Silica and the DENR dating back to the initial proposal, hoping to trace any informal approvals.

"We need the paper trail," Dela Cruz said, "otherwise we cannot assess whether due process was followed."

Witnesses from the Tarlac Provincial Environmental Office testified that they have received multiple complaints about illegal dumping of silica waste near the San Miguel River, but that they lack jurisdiction to enforce without a completed EIA.

• The San Miguel River supplies drinking water to over 150,000 residents in the province • Silica dust levels measured by local monitors in July 2026 were 45 % above the national ambient air quality standard (industry reports indicate) • The project's claimed job creation figure of 1,200 includes 300 permanent positions and 900 temporary construction roles.

The committee also invited a representative from the National Water Resources Board, who warned that unassessed quarry operations can alter groundwater flow, increasing the risk of aquifer depletion.

Officials said they will forward the hearing transcript to the Office of the President's Climate Change Commission for a policy review.

The next committee meeting is scheduled for Sept. 12, where the DENR is expected to present a compliance roadmap.

Local Communities Fear Water and Air Risks

Villagers in the barangays of Paniqui and Moncada, located within a five‑kilometer radius of the proposed hub, gathered outside the municipal hall on Tuesday to voice their concerns.

Witnesses said that the clearing of forest cover has already led to increased runoff, turning nearby streams murky and foul‑smelling.

"We see the water turning brown after every rain," said Maria Santos, a farmer who grows rice on the floodplain.

She added that her family's well water now tastes metallic, a change she attributes to silica particles leaching into the groundwater.

A local health clinic reported a 12 % rise in respiratory complaints among children under ten since the site work began in early June.

Experts said that fine silica dust can cause silicosis, a lung disease traditionally linked to mining, and that children are especially vulnerable to chronic exposure.

• 37 children under ten were treated for cough and wheeze in June‑July 2026 • 22 households reported discoloration of well water after the first heavy rains in July • The community's primary school, with 420 students, sits 2.3 km from the quarry edge.

The barangay captain, Ernesto Ramos, told the hearing that the local council has filed a petition with the Regional Trial Court seeking a temporary restraining order.

He added that the community has organized a monitoring group that logs air‑quality readings every morning, sharing the data on a public Facebook page.

Officials said they are reviewing the petition but noted that without an EIA, the court may lack a concrete basis for a ruling.

The residents' push for immediate action underscores how regulatory gaps translate into everyday health and livelihood threats.

Experts Warn of Unchecked Quarry Impacts

Dr. Lina Guerrero, a hydrogeologist at the University of the Philippines Diliman, explained that silica extraction can destabilize soil structures, increasing the likelihood of landslides during the rainy season.

"The region's geology is already prone to slope failure," Guerrero said, "adding a large open‑pit operation without proper drainage design amplifies that risk dramatically."

She cited a 2022 case in the neighboring province of Nueva Ecija, where an unassessed quarry caused a 3‑meter landslide that buried a small hamlet, resulting in ten fatalities.

Another expert, environmental engineer Carlos Mendoza of the Philippine Institute for Sustainable Development, warned that silica dust can travel up to 15 kilometers under prevailing wind patterns, affecting air quality in nearby towns.

"Our modeling shows peak concentrations could exceed WHO guidelines on days with strong southerly breezes," Mendoza noted.

The scientists pointed out that a comprehensive EIA would require baseline studies on water chemistry, air particulate levels, and biodiversity inventories, none of which have been publicly disclosed for Pax Silica.

• Baseline water pH in the San Miguel River was recorded at 6.8 in 2025 • Baseline ambient PM10 levels in the area averaged 28 µg/m³, below the 50 µg/m³ threshold – but current readings are trending upward • The region hosts 45 endemic plant species, some classified as vulnerable.

Experts said that without these data, any mitigation plan would be speculative at best.

They urged the DENR to demand a full scoping study before allowing any further construction, emphasizing that prevention is far cheaper than remediation after contamination occurs.

"We're looking at a potential legacy issue that could haunt the province for decades," Guerrero warned.

Legal Pathways and Possible Enforcement

Legal analysts highlighted that the Philippine Environmental Impact Statement System (EISS) mandates a Certificate of Non‑Cumulative Impact before a project can obtain a Permit to Operate.

Since Pax Silica lacks such a certificate, the DENR could invoke Administrative Order No. 2017‑01, which authorizes the agency to issue cease‑and‑desist orders for projects operating without an approved EIA.

Sources confirmed that the DENR's legal team is drafting a notice that could halt all earth‑moving activities within 30 days if the company fails to submit the required documents.

Meanwhile, the Department of Justice's Environmental Division is reviewing whether criminal liability applies under the Revised Penal Code for illegal quarrying.

"If the evidence shows that the company proceeded knowingly, we can pursue both administrative and criminal sanctions," a DOJ spokesperson said.

The potential penalties include fines up to ₱5 million per day of violation and imprisonment of up to five years for corporate officers.

• The DENR's budget for enforcement actions in 2026 increased by 18 % to ₱2.4 billion • The average fine for EIA violations in the Philippines over the past five years has been ₱1.2 million per incident • Pax Silica's parent company, Global Silica Holdings, posted a net profit of $42 million in FY 2025.

Community lawyers, led by attorney Atty. Roberto Lim, plan to file a civil suit seeking damages for alleged water contamination, estimating potential cleanup costs at $15 million.

Officials said they are coordinating with the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, as the project's footprint overlaps with ancestral lands claimed by the Aeta community of the nearby barangay.

The legal landscape suggests that the coming weeks could see a cascade of enforcement actions, court filings, and possibly a halt to the project if the regulatory gaps are not quickly closed.

Next Steps: What Watchers Should Track

The DENR has pledged to release a formal compliance checklist by next Friday, outlining the specific documents Pax Silica must furnish to avoid a shutdown.

Industry watchers will be monitoring the company's response, especially whether it files an EIA scoping report within the 15‑day window stipulated by the agency's notice.

If Pax Silica submits the required paperwork, the DENR will schedule a public hearing on the draft EIA, a step that could extend the timeline by several months.

Should the company fail to act, the House Committee on Ecology is expected to recommend a suspension of the project's budget allocation, which currently totals ₱9.5 billion under the National Economic and Development Authority's infrastructure plan.

• The next House hearing is set for Sept. 12, 2026 • The DENR's deadline for the notice of violation is Sept. 5, 2026 • Pax Silica's CEO, Marco Reyes, has not yet commented publicly.

Environmental NGOs have announced a coordinated social‑media campaign using the hashtag #StopPaxSilica, aiming to keep national attention on the issue.

Experts said that the outcome will serve as a litmus test for the Philippines' broader commitment to environmental governance amid rapid industrialization.

"If we see a firm enforcement here, it sends a clear signal to all future investors that environmental rules are not optional," an analyst from the Asian Development Bank noted.

The next few weeks will reveal whether the regulatory system can keep pace with development pressures, and whether the residents of Tarlac will see the promised jobs or continue to battle for clean water and air.