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ENVIRONMENTAL advocates expressed alarm on the opening of a mining
firm that threatens to destroy the rice granary and rich coastal
resources of Hinobaan, Negros Occidental.
In a study conducted by Environmental
Investigative Mission (EIM,) they found out that the rich rice
fields nourished by the Bacuyangan River and the coastal areas of
Hinobaan will be devastated with the opening of Philex Mines
Hinobaan Project.
“A study of the geologic background, location
site and scope of drilling, hydrology and relative location of the
current drill sites, point source of pollution, and
containment/mitigating measures—shows that the rich rice fields
nourished by the Bacuyangan River and the coastal areas of Hinobaan
will be devastated with the opening of Philex Mines Hinobaan
Project,” said Engr. Efren Fabila, chair of Negros Concern for
Environmental Protection and head of the EIM’s bio-physical team.
Dr. Chito Medina, executive director of MASIPAG
and Ms. Catherine Abon, geologist-teacher at the UP Diliman
Institute of Geology—members of the EIM’s biophysical
team—concurred with Fabila’s view.
They said that even as the Philex Mines is still
at the exploratory drilling stage, it is clear that the mitigating
measures, such as the siltation traps and storage that were set up
is insufficient to prevent the siltation of Arom Creek and
eventually of the Bacuyangan River.
“This construction of the mitigating
infrastructure is ill-engineered and does not consider heavy rains
during rainy season,” the study also said.
EIM’s also mentioned in the study that “more
siltation is expected as only 20 of the planned 96 drill holes have
been implemented at present.”
“The siltation experienced at present is a
mere ‘drop of silt’ in a dump truck,” observed Medina who
aside from being an agriculturist is also an environmental
scientist.
“We can just imagine what will happen when
whole mountains are dug in the open-pit mining operation of Philex.
Aquifers will be destroyed in the mining operations, depriving local
resident of water. With higher acidity of the water resulting from
acidic mine drainage, the plants capacity to absorb nutrients is
also diminished resulting in decreased yields,” Medina added.
“In the event of full mining operation of
Philex, not only the Bacuyangan River but also the Hinobaan River
will be affected. The impact areas of Barangay Talacagay and
neighboring villages and the San Rafael agrarian reform community,
considered as the rice granary of Hinobaan with yields of 80 sacks
to 100 sacks per hectare per cropping, will be severely affected,”
said Greg Ratin, Secretary-General of Defend Patrimony-Southern
Negros and head of the EIM’s socioeconomic teams.
Ratin also said that the fisher folks in the
coastal areas will also be affected and even the beach resorts when
mining disasters like what happened in Sipalay occur in the area.
-- Ira Karen Apanay
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