AROUND a three-hour drive from Davao City is Tampakan, South Cotabato. It is here where the controversial Tampakan Open-Pit Mining will soon operate if nothing is being done.
Despite efforts to prevent the start of its mining operations, the members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of South Cotabato approved on May 16 amendments to the environment code of the province. Among the amendments is the lifting of the 12-year-old open-pit mining ban in the province.
Board members who were opposed to the lifting of the ban -- Ester Marin Catorce, Ellen Grace Subere-Albios, and Jinky Avance-Samodal -- were absent. Catorce was designated by the Department of Interior and Local Government as acting governor of the province with Governor Reynaldo Tamayo Jr. being out of the country during the regular session while Vice Governor Vicente De Jesus underwent an operation.
The approval of the amendments was greatly opposed by environmental groups and residents of the province of South Cotabato. The lifting of the open-pit mining ban could pave the way to the Tampakan Open-Pit Mining, which is seen to "become the largest mining in Southeast Asia."
Idis reported that according to the project information, the mining project is estimated to extract 2.94 billion tons of metallic resources, 15 million tons of copper, and 17.6 million ounces of gold.
"We strongly condemn the railroading of the amendment of the Environment Code of South Cotabato, specifically the lifting of the ban on Open-Pit Mining. The Sangguniang Panlalawigan of South Cotabato did not consider the magnitude of the effects their actions have on the people and the environment, not only in South Cotabato," the Interfacing Development Interventions for Sustainability (Idis) said in a statement on May 17, 2022.
Idis pointed out that open-pit mining in South Cotabato will greatly affect the neighboring areas, particularly Sultan Kudarat, Maguindanao, and Davao del Sur.
"Further, it will also threaten the ecological integrities of Allah Valley (102,000 hectares) in Sultan Kudarat, the watershed of the Padada River (120,000 hectares) in Davao del Sur, and the watershed of the Marbel River (122,000 hectares) in the Province of Cotabato," Idis said.
The group added that open-pit mining "requires mass deforestation and removing 20 to 30 meters of the laterite zone to access the metallic resources underneath."
"This large-scale industry demands enormous hectares of land for operational processes from stripping, extraction, and tailings treatment, to ship loading and refinery," Idis said.
Meanwhile, should the Tampakan Open-Pit Mining push through, the mining operations "will demand and use groundwater resources and transport highly toxic wastewater through a 150-km pipe from the Municipality of Malalag draining to Davao Gulf."
"There is a treatment process presented, however, the risks of overland flow, flooding disasters, or possible collapse of tailings ponds will inevitably impair marine and aquatic biodiversity, fish stocks, and aquaculture in the coastal areas, similar to the incident in Mapagba River in Banaybanay last January 2022," Idis said.
Meanwhile, following protests by residents and environmental groups, the Provincial government of South Cotabato has created a Technical Working Group to study the amendments in the province's local environment code.
While mining can play a huge role in developing the local economy, it is highly extractive and destructive to the local environment. Not only will it affect the area it is in, but it will also affect the neighboring environment around it.
There must be a balance when it comes to progress and the environment. When the environment is greatly damaged by humans, it poses a risk to our food security, health, and overall well-being as a society.
We have seen the effects of mining when profit matters more than the environment. Let us not wait for that to happen before any action is taken. Let's be reminded of the future we want for our children and grandchildren.