Local gov't, residents of Brooke's Point call on DENR to stop operations of mining firm
MANILA, Philippines — The local government of Brooke's Point, Palawan and its residents have called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to issue a cease and desist order against Ipilan Nickel Mining Corporation for continuing its mining operations despite failing to renew its permit for 2023.
This comes after Brooke's Points residents — including indigenous people and farmers — formed a human barricade on February 21 to block INC's trucks transporting minerals and permanently stop its mining operations, which they say have permanently damaged their land and livelihood.
Municipal Mayor Cesareo Benedito, Jr. said that INC has been “blatantly disrespecting the law by ignoring the order of the Office of the Mayor to stop operations.”
At a press conference with representatives from farmers and indigenous groups, Benedito said that the mining firm did not renew its permit despite being given a "grace period" of until the end of January to do so by the municipal government. INC submitted incomplete requirements, Benedito said, and continued its operations in the southern Palawan town despite being ordered to stop.
Jaybee Garganera, a national coordinator of Alyansa Tigil Mina, an alliance of communities against mining, said that they have written to DENR Secretary Antonia Yulo Loyzaga to ask for their immediate response and to request a meeting with other department officials to put a stop to alleged illegal mining.
“(Alyansa Tigil Mina) fully supports the legitimate and just demand of the people of Brooke’s Point not to allow destructive mining in their area. (The) DENR should likewise heed the people’s demands and act accordingly,” said Garganera.
Vice Mayor Jean Feliciano said in Filipino: “I only have one wish — that the (INC) respect what’s written in the law. We respect the laws being implemented by the DENR, the National Commission on Indigenous Peoples and other agencies. But we ask that they respect the Local Government Code that gives us the mandate to support and promote the welfare of our people.”
The mining firm has also disregarded the law protecting indigenous people's rights by failing to secure a Certificate of Precondition from the National Commission on Indigenous People before proceeding with its nickel extraction, according to Indigenous People's leader Nelson Sombra.
“It operates without the required consent of indigenous groups. Clearly, it gives no consideration to the sentiments and will of the IPs," Sombra said in Filipino.
Destroyed rice fields, contaminated water
Felicia said that during a visit to one of the barangays affected by the INC’s mining operations, she met a woman who had shown her “parched” rice fields that could no longer be planted on after the INC began to cut trees in the area two years ago.
Rice fields in Barangay Maasin, which has been hailed as the “rice granary” of Brooke’s Point, have been damaged by gravel and heavy sedimentation from the operations of the mining firm, according to Irrigators Association President Joel Luagna.
“Let’s say that the mining firm is not yet in full operations, but we’re already seeing its effects, which is why we need it closed,” Luagna said in Filipino.
“How can we achieve and take care of food sufficiency if we have thousands of hectares of farmland being destroyed by mining? Where is the food security there?” he added.
Job Lagrada, a farmer from Brooke’s Point, said that their residents have long feared the effects of climate change as the mining firm’s operations have led to deeper, muddier floods drenching people’s homes and livelihoods.
“We saw how irresponsible the mining company is. Because even before, we know they could not control the laterite coming from the mountain,” Lagrada said in Filipino. Laterites are reddish and clay-like soil that are also sources of aluminum ore.
The farmer added that after a January 6 flood, they saw from the drone shots that the nickel mining operations had led to the contamination of the flowing river water beside the mountain, which darkened the nearby waters and destroyed the crops of farmers.
“We have prepared a human barricade to put a stop the mining operations. But we don’t see the workers at the mining firm as enemies. Some are our residents, neighbors, too. What we are against is irresponsible mining that continues to operate and ignore the orders from local government,” Lagrada added.
Efforts from Brooke's Point residents and local government officials to resist mining come after residents of Sibuyan Island successfully blocked the continued operations of a mining company that has wreaked havoc on the local biodiversity there.
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