Groups say environmental degradation worsening in Rapu-Rapu

MANILA, Philippines – Irresponsible large scale mining continue to wreak havoc not only on the environment but have severely affected the health of residents from host communities in the country. A Solidarity Mission held recently in Albay province by anti-mining advocates, showed that there are continuing and worsening negative impacts of large-scale mining on the communities in Rapu-rapu Island. The mission, organized by Kalikasan People’s Network for the Environment (Kalikasan PNE) and Sagip Isla Sagip Kapwa, were participated by 37 people from 28 organizations including representatives from Japan, local fisher folks, environmental activists, health professionals, and the Church. In a statement, Clemente Bautista, national coordinator of Kalikasan PNE said: “People are fast losing their livelihood and food sources on the island. The extensive pollution and degradation of the local marine ecosystem and water sources in the area resulted in the drastic decrease in people’s income and livelihood." Clemente also concluded that they believe the main factor in the environmental degradation and pollution on the island is the continuing massive release of mine wastes to the rivers of Rapu-rapu and Albay Gulf. Based on the report of the Solidarity Mission, areas adjacent and surrounding the open-pit mining operation of Lafayette such as the villages of Carogcog, Tinopan and Viga, have experienced rapid loss of coral covers because of pollution. Residents from Buenavista, another affected village, estimated that they have already lost almost 50 percent of their coral reefs after Lafayette’s large-scale mining operation started on the island. Fernando Hicap, chairman of the militant fisher folk group Pamalakaya said: “There is alarming reduction of fish catch reported by the fishermen in the island. Our collated data points that the people experienced an estimated fish catch loss of 80-90% since the mining operation of Lafayette mining started to dispose mine wastes into the sea." Information shared during one of the forums revealed that fishermen are forced to fish to as far as Catanduanes province, this new practice have unduly increased their working time and fishing costs. In 2007, Ibon Foundation, a research NGO, conducted a study on the economic impact of Lafayette mining to the local communities and reported that there was a 30-70% decrease in income of fisherfolk after two years of operation of Lafayette mining. The major source of livelihood in the area is catching Malasugi or Blue Marlin, a type of tuna, in Albay Gulf. Malasugi and other tuna species are believed to transfer farther away from Rapu-rapu Island because of the marine pollution, degradation of the local marine habitat and blast explosions at the mine operation. Also, some of the communities have observed decreasing population and loss of marine species such as seashells and small fishes that they usually catch for food. Health professionals have likewise noticed an unusual increase in the occurrence of respiratory problems such as cough and colds in their community. “We have noted several cases of dermatological problems such as itchy lesions among the residents in several Barangays in Rapu-rapu. The residents told us that these dermatological problems started to surface since the start of large-scale mining in the area," said Dr. Geneve Rivera, head of the mission’s medical team and secretary general of Health Alliance for Democracy. “What aggravates the situation is the lack of medical services in the area. Majority of the residents are very poor and cannot afford to go to medical facilities in Rapu-rapu or Legazpi City. This situation leads to several deaths, particularly among children, from simple illnesses such as diarrhea and vomiting," she added. A local organization lamented that the adverse effects of Lafayette’s mining operation have caused the “poisoning of the fishing grounds." “Foreign mining companies have grabbed our lands, poisoned our seas and destroyed our environment. Worse, the Arroyo government (not only) abandoned us (but) forced us to accept the destructive operation of Lafayette mining," protested Antonio Casitas, leader of the Albay based Sagip Isla, Sagip Kapwa. Casitas reported that the situation in the area is becoming worse every year. “We call on the government to immediately stop the large-scale mining and to the local government to suspend the operation of Lafayette, investigate the marine degradation in the area and immediately provide financial and food assistance to the (affected) poor communities," Casitas demanded. Previously owned by an Australian company Lafayette started large-scale mining in the area in 2005 but went bankrupt and was later sold in April 2008 to Korean and Malaysian mining companies. The SolidarityMission was joined by members and leaders of Kalikasan PNE, Center for Environmental Concerns (CEC Phils), Health Alliance for Democracy (HEAD), Commed, Pamalakaya, Peace for Life, Philippine Collegian, Bulatlat, Agham, Redemptorist Baclaran, Takaki Citizen Science Foundation, Friends of the Earth – Japan, Bayan Bikol, KMP Bikol, Umalpaska Bikol, Umalpaska Camarines Norte, Bayan Camarines Sur, Pamalakaya Masbate, KMU Bikol, Abaka Catanduanes, Kadamay Bikol, CSPO, Bikol Express Multimedia, AMLDM, Rural Missionary of the Philippines and Sagip Isla, Sagip Kapwa. Floro Taguinod, GMANews.TV