Dinagat Islands residents protest Tubajon mining plan

SAN FRANCISCO, AGUSAN DEL SUR, Philippines — Residents of Barangay Navarro in Tubajon, Dinagat Islands, protested against a proposed mining project in their village, calling for greater protection of local watersheds as the province grapples with a prolonged water crisis.

The protest was held outside the Navarro Barangay Hall on Aug. 27, where a meeting initiated by the Tubajon People’s Council was expected to bring together five barangay leaders, representatives of the proponent company and other officials to discuss how to manage the impact of the planned extractive operation.

Residents said they feared the plan could be endorsed without affected communities first being given enough opportunity to examine its contents. They raised concerns over the possible effects of mining on the Navarro and Imelda watersheds, nearby farms, coastal waters and fishing communities.

Article continues after this advertisement

READ: Dinagat Islands rolls out measures vs water crisis

FEATURED STORIES

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

NEWSINFO

The meeting eventually did not push through.

Residents said their concerns had become more urgent because Dinagat Islands was already under a state of calamity due to a severe water shortage brought about by a prolonged dry spell. Around 18,000 people have been affected or placed at risk, while some communities have reportedly endured water shortages for about three months now.

They called for public consultations in all affected barangays, disclosure of the IMP and related documents, and protection of the remaining watersheds in Navarro and Imelda.

READ: Nickel mining increases Caraga’s risk to severe storms – group

Article continues after this advertisement

The Tubajon protest came as Dinagat Islands Rep. Kaka Bag-ao and Association of Philippine Electric Cooperatives party-list Rep. Sergio Dagooc, a Dinagat Islands resident, separately raised mining concerns involving Gibusong Island in the neighboring municipality of Loreto during a House budget hearing involving the Department of Environment and Natural Resources.

Both lawmakers urged the Mines and Geosciences Bureau to permanently trash the disputed mining applications in Loreto instead of merely suspending them, saying suspension could leave open the possibility that the applications may later be revived.

Article continues after this advertisement

Bag-ao said the call for banning mining in the town was especially important because the province was already facing a severe water crisis affecting thousands of residents.

DENR officials committed to strengthen monitoring of mining activities in Dinagat Islands, visit Gibusong Island and meet affected communities, prevent mining in the Bonsai Forest in Mt. Redondo, and assign personnel to closely monitor mining areas.

The DENR also said Gibusong Island, which covers Barangays Helen, Liberty and Magsaysay in Loreto, could eventually be declared a “no-mining” area following proper assessment.

Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.

Your subscription has been successful.

Residents in Navarro, meanwhile, vowed to continue monitoring developments and pressing government officials for transparency before any mining-related endorsement is made. /cb