By Emma Hotchkiss, Carl Cesar Rebuta and Jaybee Garganera

It was exactly a year ago today, when local residents from Surigao del Sur vowed that they will never allow their exquisite hometowns to become another hapless victim of a crime against Mother Earth and nature. In celebration of the World Earth Day in 2009, more than a thousand folks from different sectors in the province joined a 3-kilometer march in the municipality of Cantilan to condemn mining operations in the area. These mining operations threaten the watersheds critical to the support of the province’s irrigation system, water supply and Cantilan’s proposed mini-hydro power project. Furthermore, the proposed mining sites infringe upon the indigenous peoples’ ancestral lands.

In an area that was declared as a Critical Watershed Forest Reserves by virtue of Presidential Proclamation 1747 signed by President Gloria Arroyo on March 23, 2009, it has been one long harrowing year, and there are very few reasons to celebrate Earth Day for 2010. From that simple people’s march, so much more struggles have been tendered and will continue to be offered.

Presidential Proclamation 1747, declared the portion of the public domain of Alamyo, Buyaan, Paniki Rivers and Sipangpang Falls situated in the Municipalities of Carascal, Cantilan and Madrid, Province of Surigao del Sur and in the Municipalities of Jabonga, Santiago and Cabadbaran, Province of Agusan del Norte as critical watershed forest reserves. At the same time, however, there are two approved Mineral Product Sharing Agreements (MPSAs)—Marcventures Mining and Development Corp. (MMDC) and Carac-an Development Corp. operating in the municipality of Cantilan and its neighbor towns, Madrid and Carrascal. Both MPSAs are located in the watersheds of the rivers that support their irrigation systems.

The people’s march in 2009 was convened by the CarCanMadCarLan Baywatch Foundation, Inc., Surigao del Sur Irrigators’ Federation, Inc., Cantilan Irrigation System Federation of Irrigators Association, Diocese of Tandag Social Action Center, Philippine Eagle Foundation, Immaculate Concepcion Parish (Cantilan), Parish Youth Apostolate, CAHAYAG and Lovers of Nature, Inc. The said sectors are supported by Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM), Legal rights and Natural Resource Center-Kasama sa Kalikasan/Friends of the Earth-Philippines, and BALAOD MINDANAW. The varied background of these organizations attest to the universal commitment of the people who are bearing witness to an aggressive move of an extractive industry that poses direct threat not only to the environment, but also to lives and livelihoods in the towns of Cantilan, Madrid and Carrascal. Since then several people’s initiatives to stop the mining operations have been launched.

The claim of MMDC that there are no opposition against its operations are baseless. ATM and the local support groups in the area have copies of local governments resolutions, affidavits, demand letters and position papers expressing specific and particular challenge to MMDC operations.

The municipality of Cantilan consistently opposed mining since 1992 when the above MPSAs were approved and has since issued several resolutions opposing these operations and also petitioned the president to cancel these MPSAs and declare the areas’ watersheds. Carrascal and Madrid local governments also issued resolutions opposing the operations of MMDC because of the impact to their watershed. The Sanggunian Panlalawigan also endorsed its support of the opposition and has written the president of MMDC that it is not going to endorse their operation. The Sangguniang Panlalawigan has also issued several resolutions against mining in the province, one of them preventing heavy duty vehicles to pass through provincial roads. The Sangguniang Panlalawigan has also expressed concern over the lack of prior consultation of local governments as required by the Local Government Code of the Philippines.

Even a government agency, the National Irrigation Administration (NIA) Tandag office is also opposed to these mining companies to protect the farmers and its projects costing over P2 million. No less than the Most Reverend Bishop Nereo Odchimar from Tandag Diocese supports the farmers’ claim and has also expressed concern over the lack of oversight on the part of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), Mines and Geosciences Bureau and Environmental Management Bureau, which has continued to allow the mining company to operate despite the Environment secretary’s suspension order because of complaints from the NIA, Baywatch, Lovers of Nature and the Church led by the Tandag Bishop.

Since November 16, 2009 the community launched a local checkpoint against MMDC to prevent the company from transporting mineral ores to the nearby wharf.

In December 2009, the Catholic Church reiterated their continuing support to this people’s checkpoint.
“Carrascal mining operations is a concrete evidence of how it ruins the lives and livelihood of the local people. Our rich coastal sanctuaries are already silted. Our water and irrigations are murky. They are killing people,” Sister Lydia Lascano, ICM, coordinator of SAC-Tandag narrated inside the makeshift tent.

Cantilan is the food basket of Surigao del Sur. “We have vast tract of rice fields and abundant marine resources. These are our gold in Cantilan not the ore beneath our rich agricultural lands,” said Hon. Tomasa Guardo, Mayor of Cantilan, who issued a municipal resolution not allowing MMDC to continue its mining operations, an local government power of asserting their right to say “No” under the local government code of 1991.

Tinty Irriberi, acting president of Baywatch Foundation described that the vigil is a 24/7 commitment of the local people. “We will be here until the mining permit of MMDC is cancelled. We have already filed a cancellation of MMDC’s MPSA permit in the office of the secretary of DENR on June 24, 2009 but until today we have not received any letter from the said office.”

The checkpoint still stands until today, and will continue to stand until Mother Earth is free from abuse.
Truly, for people in Cantilan and the rest of Surigao del Sur, there is very little to celebrate.