Published February 15, 2021, 5:00 PM Mining operations within the Marikina River Basin should not be blamed for the massive flooding that engulfed some parts of Marikina and Rizal province during the onslaught of Typhoon Ulysses, the deadliest and most destructive typhoon to hit the country in 2020. This was indicated in the recent decision released by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), which lifted the temporary suspension of several quarries and crushing plants in Rizal province. “With or without mining operations, flooding, erosion, and siltation will occur within the Marikina River Basin,” MGB said. “The quarrying operations in Rizal are just a fraction of the land disturbance. The contribution of these operations to the flooding and siltation of the Marikina River is only minimal,” it added.