CITY OF SAN FERNANDO – The country’s biggest fishermen’s organization has urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to junk 158 applications for black sand mining over wide areas in the Lingayen Gulf.
The Pambansang Lakas ng Kilusang Mamamalakaya ng Pilipinas (Pamalakaya) warned of catastrophic environmental disaster that would arise from such mining in Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte provinces.
Pamalakaya also earlier sent petitions to former First Lady and now Ilocos Sur Rep. Imelda Marcos and 11 other congressmen from Ilocos Sur, Ilocos Norte and Pangasinan to also block the approval of the mining applications covering a total of no less than 70,450 hectares within their jurisdictions.
“In behalf of the small fisherfolk in Lingayen Gulf encompassing the provinces of Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos.Sur and Ilocos Norte, we appeal to your sense of urgent concern in connection with the gulf wide black sand mining in the areas,” the Pamalakaya said.
Pamalakaya is a national federation of small fisherfolk organizations with chapters and allied fishermen associations along Lingayen Gulf which is threatened by the pending mining applications.
“We fear the danger posed by onshore and offshore mining for magnetite along the entire coastal areas of Lingayen Gulf through Zambales in Central Luzon and Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte provinces,” Pamalakaya said.
It noted that 15 magnetite or black sand applications are pending before the Mines and GeoSciences Bureau (EMB) in La Union province, 57 in Ilocos Sur, and 86 in Ilocos Norte.
“We learned the Vancouver based Canadian firm Colossal Mining holds five individual exploration and mining permits which will cover 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,” said Pamalakaya chairman Fernando Hicap.
He said that exploration and mining permits given to Colossal Mining would allow it to explore at least 15,700 hectares of offshore areas in Northwestern Luzon.
Other firms, namely the Grand Total Exploration and Mining Corporation are set to explore at least 33,00 hectares in the offshore and onshore areas of Tagudin, Sta.Cruz , Sta Lucia, Candon City, Santiago, Narvacan, Santa, Caoayan, Sta. Catalina, San Vicente, Vigan,.Sto.Domingo, Magsingal, San Juan and Cabugao in Ilocos Sur.
The Grand Total firm, the company headed by Randy Singson would also 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, Hicap also noted.
Pamalakaya reminded the congressmen of their “sworn duty to prevent a looming across-the gulf plunder and destruction of Lingayen Gulf and protect the livelihood rights of tens of thousands of small fisherfolk families.”
“They are removing Lingayen Gulf from the surface of this earth courtesy of large- scale black sand mining,” Pamalakaya said.
Pamalakaya cited the results of a fact-finding mission organized by Alyansa ng mga Mamamayan Laban sa Dayuhang Kontrol na Pagmimina last August in the towns of Camalaniugan and Aparri.
The mission was participated in by Amihan (women peasant organization in Cagayan), Katinnulong Daguiti Umili iti Amianan (Kaduami) ,Kagimongan (peasant organization) and Rural Missionaries of the Philippines.
In Allacapan, mining operations readily eroded riverbanks that destroyed houses and infrastructures during heavy rains. “Mothers have expressed concern over their children’ sheath as they breathe in the dust blown into the atmosphere by the black sand mining operations,” said Pamalakaya.
The same report cited similar cases in Sapping and Dugo in Camalaniugan.
“We also take note of the mission report on the impact of magnetite mining to small fisherfolk. The fish stock is now scarce and largely attributed this to the murkiness of the water after the mining operations, so the fish migrate upstream where the waters are clearer,” Pamalakaya also said.
It noted that local folk are mostly in the dark about mining operations in their area and, in some cases, are hoodwinked into believing that only river dredging were being done.
Apart from Marcos, the petition was also addressed to Reps. Rodolfo Farinas, Ryan Singson, Eric Singson Jr., Victor Ortega, Eufranio Eriguel, Jesus Celeste, Leopoldo Bataoil, Rachel Arenas, Gina de Venecia, Kimi Cojuangco, and Marlyn Primicias- Agabas.
