ANGELES CITY – The fisherfolk alliance Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) warned yesterday politicians in Region 1 that widespread magnetite or black sand mining in the Lingayen Gulf “will be a major election issue next year.”
Pamalakaya, in a statement, addressed itself to “all congressmen in Region 1 covering the provinces of Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte” who it urged to “break silence and speak out against black sand mining in wide areas of the Lingayan Gulf.
“This will be a major electoral issue next year. The entire Lingayen Gulf is under extreme pressure due to unhampered magnetite mining from Pangasinan to Ilocos Norte,” said Pamalakaya Vice Chairperson Salvador France.
Last year, France and Anakpawis Vice Chairperson Fernando Hicap wrote all district congressmen of Region 1 and urged them “to look into allegations of small fisherfolk and coastal residents that the unhampered magnetite mining in Lingayen Gulf is now causing apocalyptic destruction of the environment.”
The letter also called for a “legislative inquiry” into the mining operations in the gulf. France said he personally delivered the letters to the offices of Rep. Rodolfo Farinas Jr. (1st district, Ilocos Norte), Rep. Imelda R. Marcos (2nd district, Ilocos Norte), Rep. Ryan Singson (1st district, Ilocos Sur), Rep. Eric Singson Jr (2nd district, Ilocos Sur), Rep. Victor Ortega (1st district, La Union), Rep. Eufranio Eriguel (2nd district, La Union), Rep. Jesus Celeste (1st district, Pangasinan), Rep. Leopoldo Bataoil (2nd district, Pangasinan), Rep. Rachel Arenas (3rd district, Pangasinan), Rep. Gina P. De Venecia (4th district, Pangasinan), Rep. Kimi Cojuangco (5th district, Pangasinan) and Rep. Marlyn Primicias-Agabas (6th district, Pangasinan).
“How long it would take them to act on the complaints and concerns raised by their constituents against blacksand mining? We sent a uniform correspondence last year. It is now May 2012.
Where is their sense of urgency, fairness and justice? We don’t deserve this kind of political run-around. Public interest and fisherfolk livelihood and environmental concern are at stake here” said France.
Last week, the Defend Ilocos Movement and Timek-La Union, an affiliate of Pamalakaya filed a petition before the Supreme Court to stop black sand mining in the foreshore areas of Lingayen specifically in Barangays Sabangan, Estanza, Malimpuec and Capandanan in Lingayen, Pangasinan.
Timek-La Union said that apart from already ongoing mining operations in the Lingayen Gulf, 15 more magnetite mining applications are pending in La Union province alone, while 57 more applications are pending in Ilocos Sur province.
Pamalakaya said in Ilocos Norte, another 86 applications are also being considered by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB).
Pamalakaya noted that already, the Canadian firm Colossal Mining holds five individual exploration and mining permits covering 80 percent of offshore magnetite mining for iron in the North Western Luzon along Lingayen Gulf encompassing the provinces of La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte, including its offshore activity in Cagayan province.
The group said the exploration and mining permits given to Colossal Mining covers at least 15,700 hectares of offshore areas in North Western Luzon.
Pamalakaya also noted that Grand Total Exploration and Mining Corporation is slated to explore at least 33,00 hectares in Ilocos Sur.
Grand Total firm, the company headed by Randy Singson, is poised to conduct magnetite mining explorations on 21, 753 hectares of offshore waters in the towns of Bauang, Caba, Aringay, Agoo and Sto. Tomas in La Union, Pamalakaya also said.
