A TRANSITION to farming may be difficult for displaced small-scale miners of Itogon in Benguet.
In Barangay Ampucao, Ermundo Milo, president of Saddle, Heartwell, Gold Coin, Goldhill Community Livelihood Association Incorporated (SHAGCLAI) described the area as rocky and meant for mining, making it difficult for miners to shift to agriculture.
“Kayat me met. Awan ti mabalin nga ma - garden me ta talaga nga purposely imaginem ti ayan me ket bato, minas, anya ngay ti gardenen mi idjay. Diyay ti problema, Kayat mi nu ada kuma (We want to. But we cannot shift to agriculture because the area is rocky),” said Milo.
John Latongan, president of the Luneta Miners Association and a board of director of the Benguet Federation of Small-Scale Miners Association, noted the collapsed topsoil and scarce water.
“Idi late 90’ s di awan ti open pit ti Antamok , nagmula kami iti pinya, ken saba (In the late 90’s, when there was no open pit in Antamok, we planted pineapple and banana). When open pit mining began, amu pay nagbaliw ti environment ti ayan me (we don’t know, the environment changed)” stated Latongan adding if they are to consider the shift to agriculture, this will not sustain their source of food.
“Agshift kami agriculture kasparigan han nga umanay agsustain ti pangalaan ti makan (If we shift to agriculture, it will not be enough to sustain our needs),” added Latongan.
SHAGCLAI is comprised of 1,000 miners while Luneta has 1,300 miners.
Itogon Councilor Johnny Galutan added most of the lands in the town are owned by private individuals.
“Not all those people have land to till. How will we go to agriculture when seven out of the nine barangays in Itogon are relying on mining,” added Galutan.
Agriculture areas were identified in Tinongdan, Dalupirip, Loakan, Ampucao, and Gumatdang.
With the impending halt of small-scale mining activities, the Itogon Small Scale miner’s Association convened on Friday.
Small-scale miners are appealing for the lifting of the stoppage order.
In Benguet province, small-scale mining remains the top source of livelihood for 20,000 miners.
Local government officials and the Mines and Geosciences Bureau under the Department of Environment and Natural Resources reiterated its call for small scale miners to abide the cease and desist order of Secretary Roy Cimatu.
“It’s best for us to show to the government we are law abiding citizens,” Mayor Victorio Palangdan said.
After the Itogon landslide, National Commission on Indigenous Peoples, Mines and Geosciences Bureau, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, Benguet Corporation and the Provincial Government of Benguet will convene in Baguio City on Wednesday to expedite the processing of application for a Minahang Bayan for small-scale miners.
Benguet Corporation had given consent to the declaration of two minahang bayan (MB) sites in portions of its Antamok mineral claims with an area of 86. 2493 hectares in Ucab and Loacan.