By
Englebert A. Villegas
No to mining in Bicol!
Organized by the Institute of Environment, Conservation
and Research (INECAR), the Regional Consultation on Mining in Bicol was structured
to embark upon the prevailing concerns in mining; a battle for the environment.
It was held at the Arrupe Convention Hall, Ateneo de Naga
University (AdNU) last 28 June with funds coming from the Foundation for the
Philippine Environment.
Also, due to the efforts of INECAR Director Emilina G.
Regis, ABS-CBN Foundation Executive Director Dr. Gina Lopez, Bantay Kita former
National Coordinator Maita Gomez and Atty. Gerthie Anda of Environmental Legal
Assistance Center, the said conference had materialized.
From 234 invitations sent to different units or offices, more
or less 144 people were able to join the said affair, including the volunteers
and organizers.
The attendants were clustered into Academe, Government
Agencies, Church, Non-government and Other Organizations, Local Government Units,
Media and AdNU community.
“May effect kaya sa
iba-ibang sectors, kaya para mayong mawalat ininvite sinda kasi rin regional
ang event. Sa workshop, si mga policies na gusto kang sector ninda, mailuluwas
ninda…si mga gusto nindang gibuhon ni Pnoy sa Mining Law,” shared INECAR
Deputy Director Joanaviva C. Plopenio.
Ateneo Nature Crusaders, Banhi, Ateneo Eagles for
Environment, Social Sciences Department, Center for Community Development,
Center for Local Governance (CLG), Office of Alumni Affairs, and Office of the
President also helped in the event.
The master of ceremonies during the morning gathering was
Mr. Karl Llorin while Ms. Rowena Malate took center stage in the afternoon.
Intensified
Sunup Session
To tune-up the mindset of participants and as a guide for
the subsequent forum, sharers coming from mining communities in the Bicol
Region talked about their experiences like their efforts to prevent the
commencement of mining operations.
Also, Aquinas University Secretary General Engr. Virgilio
S. Perdigon Jr. presented the mining practices in Rapu-Rapu, Albay, now under
the management of LG Kores of Korea, Malaysian Smelters Company and Rapu-Rapu
Minerals Inc., which according to Dr. Regis is owned by Lafayette.
From his presentation, it was stated there that “Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic Project (RRPP) is then not so different from the
budul-budol gang,” because
RRPP “took so much from the community, but had given back so little” – in
contrary to their Social Development Management Plan containing unfulfilled
promises.
Included as well in his
discussions were the ‘bad’ practices of RRPP such as “paying lip service to
environmental protection through token measures; giving back so little, making it appear so much and drawing extensive
media mileage; co-opting government agencies
in what amounts to a conspiracy of cover-up and distortion or concealment of
the truth.”
On one hand, Dr. Regis discoursed about the impacts of
mining to the environment like the productivity
reduction of terrestrial and aquatic biota, loss of livelihood in farming and fishing, diseases from toxic
heavy metals, de-industrialization and depopulation in the mining sites which
are all leading to poverty.
From the four stages of mining – exploration, site
development, extraction and beneficiation (processing) and mine closure – according
to her report, ecological destruction is the main upshot of mining.
Meanwhile, Department of Environment and Natural Resources
– Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB) Region V Representative did not
attend the convention, thus failed to hash out the operating mining sites in
the region.
The speakers should have talked over the large-scale
mining operations in the region, implemented by the private sector with MGB
regulating operations.
These are the Quarry and Cement Plant Project of Goodfound
Cement Corporation in Camalig, Albay, a cement manufacturer, RRPP, a copper and
zinc producer, and Masbate Gold Project of Filminera Resources Corporation.
Other mining companies like Johson Gold Mining
Corporation in Camarines Norte; Orophil Stonecraft Inc. with its Perlite Project
in the Municipality of Baao, Camarines Sur; and UBS Marketing Corporation’s Legazpi
Perlite – Clay Project were also contained in the compact disc sent by MGB.
Only positive information can be seen there, with all the
contributions, permits and certification as well as the environmental and
community projects they have, but divergent to other speakers’ individual
reports.
Moving
to the Mainstream
In the continuation of afternoon assembly, Ms. Gomez
tackled the ‘Economics of Mining’.
She expounded on the low inputs of mining to employment,
Gross Regional Domestic Product and tax revenues based on the records of MGB –
Mining Industry Statistics and Bureau of Internal Revenue; defective policies
on mining; data discrepancies like in the mismatch of mine exports and
production figures.
Meantime, issues
related to fees and charges, if sufficient to offset the damage caused by
mining, and our responsibilities in promoting environmental protection, for
instance the support to Alternative Mining Bill pending in Congress, were also
dealt with.
According to Ms. Gomez, she questions the fact that our very
own protector of environment, DENR, is the one issuing permits to exploiters of
natural resources.
On the other hand, a DENR-Environmental Management Bureau
Director or Representative who was
supposed to recount ‘Assessment of Mining Pollution and Penalties’ was not able
to be present at the consultation.
Also, Dr. Lopez was not at the meeting, but was
represented by Bantay Kalikasan Senior Resource Mobilization Officer Maria
Darryn Vernie Castillo.
She imparted about the Alternatives to Mining like eco-educational
and agri-tourism schemes, livelihood ventures like micro-small enterprise
propagation and organic farming.
Various mining locations all over the nation were also
shown like in Surigao del Sur (Marcventures Mining Development Corp.), Manicani,
Samar, Compostela Valley, Black Sand Mining in Ilocos Sur and Cagayan, Narra, Palawan (Narra Nickel Mining Corp.), Mt.
Bulanjao, Palawan (Rio Tuba Nickel Mining Corp.) and others.
Aside from the alarming poverty
incidence related mining industry and absence of responsible mining, one
highlight in the duration of her presentation was the united shout of
participants uttering “No to Mining in Bicol! No to Mining in Palawan!”
Furthermore, Bishop Arturo
Bastes of Sorsogon presented the church’s five provisions for responsible
mining which were supported by the participants.
Ascent
of Policy Reforms
Before the end of consultation, Ms. Michele C. Verdadero
of CLG facilitated the last portion of the event, the proposal for policy
reforms from the participants.
INECAR summarized the results into Mining Regulation and
Rehabilitation, Compliance to Law, Monitoring Policies, Tax Policy (the
possibility of raising the excise tax from 2% to 30%) and Sustainable
Development Practices.
“Iyong 1995 Mining
Act eh open talaga to mining, at iyong new policy close to mining to prevent
destruction of biodiversity areas. Doon sa mga nagmimina, anong mas mahalaga –
food o ginto? Maaaring sabihin na ipagbibili niyo ang ginto pero anong silbi
nun kung masisirira ang mga forests and vegetation,” disclosed Dr. Regis.
She added a suggested action: “to love our country and to
protect and care for its resources, the one providing us with everything kasi ang metal naman ay narerecycle, ‘di
kailangang magbungkal ng magbungkal.”
For the foreign investors, “Why don’t you mine in your
own countries? At walang kwenta ang investment nila kung ‘di igagastos ditto
bukod sa labor worth Php200.00 habang ‘yung mga machinery eh from abroad” was
her message to them.
Meanwhile, Dr.
Regis’ statement to all was “to prevent the entry of mining companies in
connection to their mining applications at
wag magbulag sa mga pangako at offers nila.”
