SANTA CRUZ, Marinduque—It happened more than 20 years ago. For the residents of Santa Cruz town in Marinduque, the mining disaster that flooded their communities, destroyed their farms and fishing grounds, and exposed people to poisonous chemicals, the suffering is getting worse by the day. Their only consolation is the thought that the environmental catastrophe could just be a blessing in disguise—the government was forced to stop mining operations in the area for good.
Environment Secretary Regina Paz L. Lopez gave them hope that they will finally get what they’ve been striving for since 1996—justice.
Until today, residents of Santa Cruz said they still suffer from loss of livelihood and health problems because of toxic pollution from the mines operated by Marcopper Mining Corp. Around 78 people have been affected because of exposure to lead, a toxic heavy chemical, in Santa Cruz town.
Several people have already died from lingering diseases caused by exposure to lead.
“I want Marcopper to pay. I want justice for the people of this town,” Lopez said. Lopez met with residents of Santa Cruz at the Marinduque Capitol Convention Center on Monday to talk to local officials and communities affected by mining.
She said no amount of money would bring back the lives ruined by Marcopper. But, nonetheless, she said it would help the people get justice.
Livelihood lost
Sabino Raginio, 62, of Ipil, Santa Cruz, said the mining disaster destroyed the lives of the people. “Our fishing ground was covered with mud. We can’t even see any fish in our fishing ground. Our farms were buried in mud and our river, where water used to flow, died,” said Raginio, president of Samahan ng Maliit na Mangingisda sa Barangay Ipil.
Lifetime of health problems
Barangay Santa Cruz, which hosts Marcopper, was the worst affected by the leak from the mine’s tailings pond.
The 27-kilometer Boac River was declared biologically dead because of the accident.
“Until now, we have to go further out at sea to fish. We get by, but that is because we have to survive,” he said.
He added that before the mining disaster, his small fish trap—locally called baklad—can yield 10 kilos a day. Now, he said he had to spend for gas for his banca and risk his life every fishing expedition for almost the same volume of fish.
Lopez said some people suffered because of lead exposure. Among them is 29-year-old Melody Garcia, who suffered brain damage. Her father, Nicanor Garcia, 54, said his daughter was living a happy life as a kid.
It was too late, he said, when they found out that lead had already started to affect her daughter’s brains.
“Doctors at the Philippine General Hospital told us to observe. They said low level of lead was found in her system. So we observed. Later, help from the local government stopped,” he recalled.
In Barangay Ipil, he said they know something was wrong because fish at tambak, an area where Marcopper dumps wastes, were dying.
He said he and his family don’t eat dead fish, but he did not know that even those fish they caught alive were already contaminated.
“Sometimes, she swims with friends. I couldn’t stop her and I wasn’t even aware of the danger,” he said
Peter Manuba, 66, has a different story. He is spending a life of misery now because of skin disease.
He has to spend money for a skin disease that appears to have no cure. His son, Wilson, about 25 years younger than him, suffered more than he did. “His foot had to be amputated. His wife left him because of his skin disease. Last June, he died,” Manuba said.
He recalled that he and his son got the skin disease from fishing, long before the 1996 Marcopper mining disaster. “Even before the leak, we are already suffering because of Marcopper. We had this because our water was polluted from mine wastes.”
His son, he said, obtained a cut in the left foot while docking his banca. But since then, the wound never healed and it only got worse and worse.
“It became rotten,” he said. He also had skin disease showing in both palms and both feet.
He said never did any of his fellow residents got help from Marcopper.
“I asked Assistant Secretary Galo Martinez [special concerns] to conduct an inventory of all the people who got sick and who lost their livelihood. I am going to make Marcopper pay,” Lopez said.
During the dialogue, residents demanded justice and indicated they want Marcopper to pay for its crime.
Lopez said she will initiate criminal and administrative charges, and help residents file a class suit against the mining company.