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House probe on Mindoro mining activities sought


MANILA, Philippines - Militant lawmakers have sought a congressional inquiry into the effects of large-scale mining activities on the environment and livelihood of people in Oriental Mindoro. Reps. Satur C. Ocampo and Teodoro A. Casino (Bayan Muna), Liza L. Maza and Luzviminda C. Ilagan (Gabriela), and Rafael V. Mariano (Anakpawis) have introduced House Resolution 997 directing the Committee on Ecology to look into the matter. Ocampo said the operation of the Mindoro Nickel Project of Resources and Aglubang Mining is a big threat to the province's watershed areas. Ocampo alleged that the Mindoro Nickel Project Resources and Aglubang Mining was able to get the nod of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, through the Office of the President and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR). The DENR earlier rejected the mining project because of the grave ecological destruction, socio-economic dislocation and the irreparable damage to the environment, human lives, health and livelihood of farmers and fisher folk and ultimately endanger food security in the province. “The whole province is facing a great danger since the mining exploration site encroaches on the 'Mag-asawang Tubig' watershed, the largest source of irrigation water for the 40,000 hectares of rice lands in Calapan City," Ocampo said. Ocampo said residents of Nauhan, Baco and Victoria in Oriental Mindoro, and the Alangan and Tadyawan indigenous Mangyan communities have complained that mining activities of Intex Resource and Aglubang Mining would mean an eight million-ton mine waste annually. “This would be environmentally unsafe since erosion and unwanted displacement of the materials as a result of typhoons will beset any tailings dam as seen in the mining disaster of Marinduque and Rapu-rapu in the past," Ocampo said. The solon also noted that the Intex/Aglubang plans to construct land-base tailings dams in the municipalities of Pola, San Teodoro, Pinamalayan and Calapan City. “The economic thrust of the Provincial Government of Oriental Mindoro is anchored on the food sustainability, eco-tourism and the development of agriculture. The entry of mining operations is detrimental to the provinces' sustainable development agenda," Ocampo said. Ocampo also cited the World Bank in its Extractive Industry Review report, which revealed “countries relying primarily on extractive industries tended to have higher levels of poverty, conflict and corruption than countries that had more diversified economies". - GMANews.TV
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