TACLOBAN CITY—A mining company whose operations were suspended for 15 years due to complaints from residents due to environmental pollution is back in the historic island of Manicani in Eastern Samar, creating restlessness and fear among residents that it might cause another division in the improving relations among them.
Carlos Tayag, regional director of Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) in Eastern Visayas, said Hinatuan Mining Corp. (HMC), was given a go-signal to conduct another round of mineral exploration to determine whether it remains economically viable for the company to continue with its operation on the island.
“They [HMC] have to conduct further exploration which is the reason why some residents are alarmed with the increasing number of backhoes and other heavy equipment. These will be used for the exploration,” Tayag said.
Tayag said MGB Central Office granted the petition of the mining company on March 2, 2022, to extend the expired its Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) for 15 years to cover for the years that their operations were suspended.
“The MPSA was good for 25 years but HMC was only able to operate for less than 10 years. This is not yet the renewal of their MPSA but only using the unexpired portion of their mining permit,” he said.
The MPSA awarded to HMC on April 28, 1992, granted a 25-years mining permit to mine 1,164.55 hectares out of the Manicani’s total size of 1,166 hectares. The 25-year MPSA was suspended in 2002, and expired on October 28, 2017.
Operations of HMC, a subsidiary of Nickel Asia Corp., were suspended after a bloody incident in 2001, wherein a vehicle rammed on the picket line of protesting residents injuring a local and two other protesters.
Animosity among residents developed pitting those who worked in the mining company against those who lost their farm lands and houses due to the mining operations, causing division among relatives in the erstwhile closely-knitted island.
Marcial Somook, president of Protect Manicani Island Inc. (Promisi), a grassroots organization formed by residents who are against the mining operation, said he is worried about the return of the mining company as this may rekindle old animosity that already started to heal since the company stopped its operations.
He said they will continue to oppose the return of the mining operations.
“This is our home. We cannot allow just anybody to destroy it and deprive us of our livelihood. I’m sure the owner of HMC will not be happy if somebody goes to their house and destroys it. It is the same with us,” he said.
Earlier, Bishop Crispin Varquez, prelate of the Diocese of Borongan, Eastern Samar, expressed his deep concern for the increasing number of mining companies operating in Homonhon, the adjacent island of Manicani, and urged government leaders and concerned agencies to take immediate action.
“We are very much disturbed by the escalated mining operations in our beloved historic island of Homonhon,” the prelate said in his Easter message.
“At present, there are four active mining companies operating on the island. Their immediate and negative effects on the communities and the natural environment are very alarming,” he added.
Besides the damage to the delicate ecosystem that HMC has caused in Manicani, residents also complained that mining operations have reduced the amount of land available to farmers. Manicani Island is one of the biggest sources of calamansi in the region.
Tayag, however, said conditions in Manicani Island have already normalized and that there is a strong clamor from the residents to resume the mining operations that will bring jobs to the residents.
He said HMC has been a responsible company and complied with government regulations, especially with its tax obligations.
“Even when the operations were suspended, HMC has spent millions of pesos for the upkeep on Manicani Island,” he said.
Manicani Island, located 10.5 kilometers off from Guiuan, is composed of four barangays—San Jose, Banaag, Hamorawon and Buenavista. The island is home to over 3,000 residents based on the 2020 Census.
Its residents are dependent on fishing and agriculture as their main source of income.
Both the islands of Manicani and Homonhon form part of the 60,448 hectares Guiuan Protected Landscape and Seascape under Proclamation 469 issued in 1994. A large tarpaulin put up by the Environment Management Bureau about the proclamation greets visitors at the port.
During World War II, the island was converted by the US Navy into a major naval repair facility. The facility included housing for 10,000 people, a mess hall, shops, administration buildings and an outdoor movie theater.
After the war and upon leaving Manicani, US Navy personnel dismantled and removed all buildings and utilities.
