AN environmental group on Monday reiterated its appeal for the cancellation of mineral production sharing agreements (MPSAs), which straddle watersheds in the Ilocos region.
Sherwin de Vera, regional coordinator of the Ilocos Network for the Environment (Defend Ilocos), said the Ilocos region suffers from dry spells and drought every year. Mining operations, he said, will increase and cause the suffering of the people in the region, particularly farmers, who depend on water coming from creeks, streams and rivers for irrigation.
On February 14 Environment Secretary Regina Paz L. Lopez issued an order canceling 75 MPSAs to protect watersheds.
An environmental advocate, Lopez stood pat on her decision to declare watersheds “off-limits” to destructive development activities, particularly mining.
She also supported calls to amend the mining law to cover all watersheds in mining “no go” zones, and vowed to work with lawmakers, or push for an executive order to put a measure to that effect.
While Lopez said she doesn’t know how it can be done, she stated the country’s 142 critical watersheds are off-limits to mining.
“The 142 critical watersheds are already ‘no-go’ zones, but it shouldn’t be limited to that,” she said.
In its appeal, Defend Ilocos said, based on data from the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB), seven mining companies have applied for permit in watershed areas in Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte. These are the Cordillera Exploration Co. Inc., Newmont Philippines, Olpaten Resources Corp., Diamond Drilling Corp., Rehnzel Resources Corp., Benguet Corp. and Lepanto Consolidated Mining Co.
“We urge Secretary Lopez to include in the cancellation order all applications that cover watershed areas in the region and in other parts of the Cordillera,” the group said.
The cancellation of MPSAs in Baay-Licuan, Abra and Mankayan, Benguet, are commendable since streams and rivers in these locations drain to the Abra River, but the surface water system in the region remains under threat because applications and permits of other companies remain active, de Vera said.
He said Lopez should support the clamor of environmental groups to repeal the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and the passage of the People’s Mining Bill to realize “watershed protection against corporate plunder.”