Guimaras dads step up drive against large scale mining Nestor P. Burgos Jr. Inquirer Visayas
November 08, 2009
ILOILO CITY, Philippines—Guimaras officials and residents heightened their opposition to large-scale mining activities on the island amid continued applications for mining explorations covering 65 percent of the island or around 37,000 hectares.
Guimaras Gov. Felipe Nava said they have started a second round of signature campaign this time focusing on barangays in the province as part of their province-wide advocacy against large-scale mining.
“We will block the application because it would be difficult if the exploration operations start,” Nava told the Inquirer in a text message. Nava said the mining operations could destroy the island’s tourism potential, rich biodiversity and the livelihood of the people.
Church
Environmental and Church groups joined the opposition of Guimaras residents against the applications fearing its impact to the island’s environment still reeling from the massive oil spill in 2006.
Msgr. Meliton Oso, director of the Jaro Archdiocesan Social Action Center, said they are supporting the campaign against mining activities in line with the pastoral letter issued by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines calling for the repeal of the Mining Act of 1995.
“Despite the opposition of residents and officials, the applications have not stopped and are being processed. We must continue to be vigilant,” Oso said in a telephone interview.
There is one approved mining exploration application in Guimaras and three other pending applications as of Sept. 30, data from the Mines and Geo-Sciences Bureau in Western Visayas showed.
The MGB issued a Mineral Production Sharing Agreement to extract limestone to the Dorilag Cement Corp. on June 18, 1993, covering 1,794 ha in Jordan and Buenavista towns.
Applications
The operations have not started and the company is still undertaking an Environment Impact Assessment.
The pending applications for exploration cover 34,663.9402 or 57.34 percent of the province’s total land area.
These include applications of the Fil-Asian Strategic Resources and Properties Corp. covering areas within Nueva Valencia town; Global Philippine Mining and Development Corp. covering Nueva Valencia, Sibunag and San Lorenzo and the Next Generation Mining and Development Corp. covering the towns of Buenavista, Jordan, San Lorenzo and Sibunag.
The MGB pointed out in a statement that all the pending applications were for exploration activities and did not necessarily mean that these would develop into full-blown mining operations.
Relinquishment
The agency also clarified that while large areas were necessary for exploration activities, not all the areas would be utilized.
“Contrary to common belief that the grant of large tracts of land to mining contractors will result in massive land degradation, it should be emphasized that the grant of as much as 81,000 ha for mineral exploration is subject to relinquishment,” the MGB said.
Relinquishment involves the mandated reduction of the approved area for exploration where the contractor returns to the government parts of the area that has a low or no mineral potential.
