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Mining threatens to destroy Davao City watershed, but city council still has to find out how and where a Lucio Tan-owned mining company has secured permit to explore the area for mining.
Despite the January 22 cease and desist order (CDO) by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Region 1 against the mining activities, the mining companies did not heed the said order and instead continued with their operations.
The City Council of Itogon urged the Department of Health Cordillera Administrative Region (DOH-CAR) and Department of Environment and Natural Resources -CAR (DENR-CAR) to conduct a joint investigation and evaluation of the refinery plant of Benguet Corporation at Balatoc Virac Itogon, Benguet.
“Now, with the excuse that it has not completed its dam rehabilitation, Philex once again wants to extend its operations. The real reason behind this is to rake in billions of pesos from their operation while subjecting our people to possibly another flooding and disaster.” – Kalikasan PNE
“The solid support showed by the church people, farmers and professionals shows the anti-mining sentiments of the people of Nueva Vizcaya.”
“Siguro nasa 20 percent pa tayo (ng recovery), malaki pa masyado (ang hahabulin) lalo na sa agriculture.” — Compostela Valley Governor Arturo Uy
“Even you cannot endure the stench,” Dr. Conrado Rotor Jr., Philippine Science High School director told Northern Dispatch. The garbage dump is a few meters the newly built four-storey, 16-classroom building of the government-run secondary school servicing students in the Cordillera and the rest of Northern Luzon.
“We demand justice for the victims of Erdogan’s fascist rule. The Turkish government must immediately release those arrested in protests and lift the ban on mass meetings and protest actions."
Joint forces of the Philippine Army and the PNP have reportedly tried to dismantle the barricade in serving the TRO against the local leaders, but they have been foiled by “the strong and organized resistance of the people.”
“The LCMC's mining operations will mean the grabbing and destruction of hundreds of hectares of agricultural lands, forests and other parts of the ancestral domain of the indigenous peoples of Mankayan and Tadian." -- NPA-Benguet
“We are not against mining. We recognize the need for mining. But it’s different if foreigners are the ones utilizing our mining resources…”
“What have we gained from the Philippine Mining Act of 1995? Environmental disaster, economic dislocation, food insecurity and militarization that wreak havoc in communities.” -- Cordillera Peoples Alliance
“We are now on the road to recovering the environment we have lost,” claimed the DENR. While progressive groups say, “With the forests being converted into plantations and logging permitted by the government, the area has been denuded up to a point wherein a mere rain shower could cause a catastrophic landslide.”
After a fruitful dialogue between Dir. Leo Jasareno of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) and representatives of environmental advocates in Ilocos Sur, the Bureau and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources gave their commitment to stop black sand mining in the province.
By MARYA SALAMAT
“Corruption, violence, human rights violations, chilling disasters one after another –these are what Filipinos have suffered as a result of implementing the Mining Act of 1995.” – Bayan Muna Party Rep. Neri Colmenares
Read also: Mining Act + Aquino’s mining EO = poison, plunder and disaster
By MARYA SALAMAT
“There are actual experiences and technologies available that demonstrate how Philex can decommission the tailings dam without resuming its mining operations.” – Kalikasan PNE
Read also: MGB go-signal to Philex: baseless, ill-advised, dangerous
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