‘Stop mining in our region’—Eastern Visayas bishops

Six bishops from Eastern Visayas have made an impassioned plea on government leaders to stop mining in the region.

The mining aggression in Eastern Visayas will only worsen the already deteriorating state of the environment and destroy the livelihood of the people, they said.

“We call on our responsible leaders in government, in the private sector and all those who harbor intentions of mining our region to listen to the voices of our people, ‘Bring back the Beautiful Land we had once; STOP MINING IN OUR REGION’,” the bishops said in a statement issued on Oct. 22.

Both government and private sectors have shown keen interest in developing the mining industry in the territory.

The prelates criticized the “misplaced priorities” of some local leaders accusing them of acting “more as agents of the mining firms rather than agents of the people.”

The bishops noted in the statement that several mining permits for exploration and mining production sharing agreements (MPSAs) have been issued in many parts of the region’s islands of Samar, Leyte and Biliran.

They expressed alarm on the irreversible impact of extractive industries especially on the islands of Manicani and Homonhon in Eastern Samar and Batag in Northern Samar which remain imperiled by large and small-scale mining operations.

“As shepherds of our flock, it is our collective sentiments that the continuing drive for development of the Eastern Visayas region anchored on mining as well as other extractive economic pursuits, only reinforce the irreversible trend of permanently damaging nature's endowments. As a consequence, the many lines of opportunities upon which our people can draw their life sustenance will definitely be threatened immensely,” the statement said.

The bishops said previous experiences attest on the harmful effects of mining on environment and livelihoods and these should have at least imparted some lessons on everyone.

Citing Bagacay as an example, the prelates said the mining company left the area permanently devastated and the river poisoned after having extracted all minerals from the ground.

“The people who had high hopes of being lifted from their sorry state of poverty were left to fend for themselves and grapple with the realities that there are no more fertile grounds to grow their food or natural river systems to catch the fishes for their day's meal,” they said.

The prelates also noted the decade-long struggle of the people in the islands of Manicani, Homonhon and Batag who have to make do with what was left of the environment and livelihood destroyed by mining.

Added to the damage done on the environment is “the destruction of the islands’ social fabric, [with] families and communities [being] polarized,” they said.

“What pervades has been the situation of unpeace and disharmony. People in the islands have been constantly threatened by another prospect of systematic destruction of the island they call home,” they added.

The bishops reiterated that the social costs and irreversible destruction caused by mining far outweigh its perceived economic benefits.

Signatories of the pastoral statement titled “A Call to Stop Mining in Eastern Visayas Region” were Palo Archbishop Jose S. Palma, Catarman Bishop Emmanuel C. Trance, Borongan Bishop Crispin B. Varquez, Maasin Bishop Precioso D. Cantillas, Calbayog Bishop Isabelo C. Abarquez, and Naval Bishop Felomino G. Bactol.