The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has announced Thursday, February 2, the closure of 23 mining firms all over the country for committing numerous violations.
Environment Secretary Gina Lopez said the companies, operating on or near watersheds, caused siltation of coastal waters and destruction of watersheds, among other violations. Siltation happens when excessive mineral particles contaminate a body of water.
Lopez said these firms should stop operating until President Rodrigo Duterte says otherwise, CNN Philippines reported.
“You cannot, you must not, and you should not have any mining which endangers the water supply of the Filipino. No amount of money warrants the quality of life of the Filipino,” Lopez said in a media briefing.
Lopez said this move is meant to “rectify” the mistakes of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB). The MGB, which is under DENR, grants exploration permits to companies, while the secretary of the DENR approves minerals processing permits, according to Republic Act No. 7942 or the Philippine Mining Act of 1995.
Lopez showed pictures of dirty rivers and denuded forests, some of which she took herself while the department was conducting the mining audit.
Four mining firms in Zambales – BenguetCorp Nickel Mines Inc., Eramen Minerals Inc., LNL Archipelago Minerals, and Zambales Diversified Metals Corporation – were ordered closed because of illegal logging activities, and for operating near a river.
Lopez said their operations led to siltation, which she said affected the agricultural yield of Sta. Cruz town.
“What happens when the river gets silted? The farmers suffer. Their yield suffers. Food suffers. Our economy suffers. It’s not good at all,” Lopez said.
Seven people also died in Zambales when Typhoon Lando (international name Koppu) struck in 2015. Residents said the polluted water reached residential areas then.
“What happened in Zambales is social injustice,” Lopez said.
The environment secretary also pointed out that mining does not alleviate poverty despite the lucrative income of mining companies, citing the situation in Dinagat Islands, the report said.
“Sinong may pakinabang sa resources ng Pilipinas? The money doesn’t even go back to us,” Lopez said. “Siguro naman if the mining was good, hindi na sila mahirap,” CNN Philippines quoted the cabinet secretary as saying.
