ILOILO CITY — A construction boom in the province of Iloilo is driving a frenzy of sand and gravel quarrying that is already weakening the foundations of at least three bridges and a dam. Banias said there had been a surge in demand for gravel and sand in recent days because of massive construction projects both by the government and private sector. The number of construction projects in Western Visayas, mostly in Iloilo province, grew by almost half (49.9 percent) in 2015 from previous years. Last year, the number of construction projects added to those already existing was 11.6 percent of the total. ADVERTISEMENT‘Build, build, build’The boom in new projects was expected to further accelerate as the Duterte administration carries out a “Build, build, build” policy to increase infrastructure spending’s share in the gross domestic product.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer August 14, 2017 21:22 UTC