Ecologists welcome mining moratorium in Palawan

MANILA, Philippines - Militant ecologists hailed the Palawan provincial government's decision to stand by its 25-year moratorium on mining, saying it shows the province now sees the "evil" of government's revitalized mining program. Kalikasan People's Network for the Environment (Kalikasan-PNE) national coordinator Clemente Bautista Jr. said they welcome the growing ranks of local government units banning large-scale mining in their areas. "Aside from the environmental degradation, insignificant contribution to local and national economy, health hazards and massive displacement of people due militarization and confiscation of lands, are enough reasons for Governor Joel Reyes and his colleagues at the Provincial Board, to post the moratorium," he said in an article on the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines website. Included in the list of local governments that temporarily ordered halt to the large-scale mining activities are the provinces of Capiz, Western Samar, Northern Samar, Eastern Samar, Marinduque, Mindoro Oriental and North Cotabato, he said. The Palawan government has good reason to post a moratorium in large scale mining, Bautista said. For its part, the Philippine Misereor Partnership Mining Advocacy (PMP-MAC), in their national gathering held at Tagbilaran, Bohol, reported an increasing number of sites of struggle facing social and environmental threats of mining. PMP is a network of church-based groups, non-governmental organizations, and people's organizations working for total human development. Due to growing concern of ill effects of large-scale mining, PMP launched its mining advocacy campaign (MAC) in 2006 to strengthen the calls of the bishops, the mining-affected communities, and indigenous peoples, to confront the aggressive promotion of mining under the mining revitalization Program of the current administration. PMP-MAC project coordinator OJ Acaba said that from 11 original sites of struggles, the list has grown to 16. The 11 original sites include Benguet; Didipio town in Nueva Vizcaya; Gabaldon in Nueva Ecija, Cabangan in Zambales; Oriental Mindoro, Rapu-Rapu in Albay; Baler; Manicani Island in Samar; Tandag in Surigao del Sur; Mati in Davao Oriental; and Tampakan in South Cotabato. In 2007, six new sites were added: Kabankalan and San Carlos, in Negros Occidental, Dinapigue in Isabela; Vitali in Zamboanga City and Tubay in Surigao del Sur. "Under PGMA's administration, more mining tenements and applications have been approved at an unprecedented rate as compared to the number of Certificates of Ancestral Domain Titles (CADTs) issued. Large portions of these are within the ancestral domains of the indigenous people. This figure increases every day that's why it is not surprising the number of sites of struggle grows, too," Acaba said. As of September 2007, there were 42 priority mining projects of the administration, now operating on different stages: The First Tier Priority Mineral Development Projects in its Construction and Development, including operating projects with expansion include: Carmen (Toledo) Copper Project; Didipio Copper-Gold Project; Masbate (Aroroy) Gold Project; Iligan Ferronickel Smelter Project; Manticao Ferronickel Smelter Project; Palawan Nickel Expansion Project; Canatuan Silver-Gold Expansion Project; Masara Gold Expansion Project. The Final Feasibility and Financing Stage include: Tampakan Copper Project; Itogon Gold Project; Siana Gold Project; Nonoc Nickel Project; and Boyongan Copper Project. In Advanced Exploration Stage are the following: Acoje PGE/Nickel Project; Colet Copper-Gold Project; Agata Project (Copper-Gold, Nickel); Balabag Project; Runruno Gold Project; and Pujada Nickel Project. The Second Tier Mineral Development Project include: Amacan Copper-Gold Project; Batong Buhay Copper-Gold Project; Diwalwal Direct State Development Project; Far Southeast Gold Project; King-king Copper-Gold Project; Mindoro Nickel Project; Akle Cement Project. In its Advanced Exploration Stage are the following: Archangel Gold Project; Batoto Gold Project; Celestial Nickel Project; Del Gallego Gold Project; Hixbar Copper-Gold Project; Lobo Gold Project; Nalesbitan Gold Project; Panag Gold Project; Tagpura Copper Project; Tapian, San Francisco Project; Vista Buena Mining. Already in its Operating Stage are Rapu-Rapu Polymetallic Project; Padcal (Sto. Tomas II) Copper Expansion Project; Teresa Gold Project; Berong Nickel Project; and ACT (Adlay-Cadianao-Tandawa) Nickel Project. - GMANews.TV