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Saturday, April 23, 2005
Alliance fights large-scale mining
ENVIRONMENTAL groups, people’s organizations and communities affected by mines have formed an alliance to call for the scrapping of Republic Act (RA) 7942, or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995.
The Defend Patrimony Movement Against Mining TNCs and Plunder of Resources-Cebu expressed its opposition to large-scale corporate mining, which it described as unconstitutional.
It described RA 7942 as “anti-people, anti-environment and anti-national development” because it allows 100% ownership of water rights, land rights and mineral resources to foreign corporations, mostly transnational corporations.
Large-scale mining also results in displacements, loss of livelihood and health problems among the people, the group said in a press conference yesterday.
In San Fernando, Cebu, quarrying activities of Solid Earth Development Corp. is allegedly intruding on forestland declared by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) as a watershed, the alliance said.
Despite the DENR declaration, portions of the 2,654-hectare quarry site in the 11 barangays of San Fernando belong to the watershed area.
“(DENR) planted trees in the mountains, and yet allowed mining activities there,” said Samson Santoral, head of a farmers’ group.
Santoral said they have already called the DENR’s attention on the matter but there’s no action yet.
Not against mining
“We are not against mining as long as it is pro-people and pro-environment, and it is aimed towards national industrialization,” said Nick Abasolo, Kilusang Magbu-bukid ng Pilipinas (KMP)-Cebu secretary general.
KMP-Cebu is among the 12 convening organizations in the alliance, mostly coming from the poor and marginalized sectors.
Defend Patrimony is a broad network of organizations and individuals who are against wholesale and plunder of mineral and natural resources.
It is composed of 12 convening organizations, mostly from the poor and marginalized sectors.
It has four main objectives: to defend the national patrimony, to fight for the abolition of Mining Act of 1995, to call for a pro-people and pro-environment mining policy, and to support local mining campaigns. (Geraldine N. Aguelo, UP Mass Comm intern/Karenina W. Villaluz, STC Mass Comm intern)
(April 23, 2005 issue)
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