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First Posted on Inside Mindanao (www.insidemindanao.com) on July 19, 2008

People need food, not mining

MATI, DAVAO ORIENTAL—Environmental organizations in Davao Oriental have urged the government to prioritize the solutions on the food crisis rather than organizing mining summits to resolve the rift between the two mining companies in the province.

"No amount of mining summit can resolve the food crisis that we are facing now. The government must prioritize the basic needs of the people," Macambol Multisectoral Alliance for Integral Development (MMSAID) said in a statement.

The province of Davao Oriental will conduct a mining summit tentatively on July 27 to 28 in Davao City aimed at addressing the row between two corporations—BHP Billiton and Asiaticus Mining Corporation (AMCOR)—involved in the over a billion dollar Pujada Nickel Mining project in the City of Mati.

Instead of developing the mining sector, MMSAID added, the government should prioritize the development of the agricultural sector and ensure food security down to the community level.

"The Macambol Multisectoral Alliance for Integral Development is hoping for development. But the development that we want to achieve is one that will address the basic needs of the people especially food. We are against a development framework which will only inflict tremendous damage to our people and environment. We are strongly against the plunder of the country's mineral wealth to satisfy the greed of foreign investors," the statement said in vernacular.

MMSAID also stated that the Pujada Nickel Mining Project will not address the current food crisis but will only worsen the situation as the farmers, fisherfolks and lumads will be dispossessed of their own livelihoods.

The group added that the project will also bring with it additional problems like displacement or ejection of families living within the contract areas, the possibility of siltation and effluents flowing to the bay causing great stress and destruction to marine resources, and militarization.

Barangay Macambol in Mati is situated between two protected areas namely Pujada Bay Protected Seascape and Mt. Hamiguitan Range, a proclaimed wildlife sanctuary under Republic Act No. 9303 otherwise known as the Mt. Hamiguitan Range and Wildlife Sanctuary Act.

Mt. Hamiguitan is home to more or less 400 hectares of "pygmy forests", exotic plants and wild animals. Rattan, timber and non–timber products which are the sources of community livelihood are found here.

Below the contract area lays the Pujada Bay, a protected seascape and landscape by virtue of Presidential Proclamation 431. A biodiversity hotspot, it hosts endangered species such as dugongs or sea cows, sea turtles and sting rays. It is the major source of livelihood of the coastal community.

Luwas Kinaiyahan Chairperson Dr. Cirilo Valles said that they are for sustainable development. "Ako nang nakita ang nahitabo sa Marinduque, Siocon, Surigao ug uban pang lugar nga adunay mining operations dinhi sa atong nasud. Dili ko gusto nga ang nahitabo sa ilang lugar mahinabo usab diri kanato. Mao nga hugot gayod ako nga mobabag sa bisan unsang mining operations, small scale o large scale, kay para kanako mao ra ang kadaot sa tawo ug kinaiyahan nga iyang mahatag (I have witnessed what happened in Marinduque, Siocon, and Surigao and in other areas in our country where there are mining operations. I do not want those disasters to happen here. That is why I am strongly against any mining operations, small scale or large scale, because for me they have the same negative effects to the people and environment)."

Luwas Kinaiyahan is an alliance of people's organizations, environmental organizations and individuals working for the protection of the environment.

Jean Marie M. Ferraris of the Legal Rights Center (LRC–KsK/FoE–Phils) said that the Arroyo government should seriously assess its priorities.

"Mining investments will not feed the people. The country will only be thrown into deeper economic turmoil if the government will continue to disregard the legitimate sentiments of the communities. The government should immediately stop the issuances of mining permits", she added.

The Pujada Hallmark Nickel Project is one of the Department of Environment and Natural Resource's top 23 priority mining projects and is expected to bring in more than $1.5 billion in investment for the country.

By virtue of transfer of rights, Hallmark and Austral–Asia purportedly hold a permit to conduct exploration activities in Macambol. These companies are only derivative corporations from the original seven domestic mining corporations which previously secured Mineral Production Sharing Agreements (MPSAs) in the area but later sold their rights to Asiaticus Mining Corporation (AMCOR). In 2002, AMCOR entered into a joint venture agreement with BHP–Billiton.

In July 2007, AMCOR and BHP–Billiton were locked up in a legal battle after the former decided to rescind its contract with BHP–Billiton for failure to comply with their reciprocal obligations stated in their joint venture agreement.

In an Omnibus Order dated May 20, 2008, Judge Winlove Dumayas of the Makati Regional Trial Court Branch 59 ordered BHP Billiton against "using, occupying, exploring, developing and exercising acts of ownership of mining right over the Pujada Properties."

But according to MMSAID leaders, BHP–Billiton representatives are still actively campaigning for support from the residents of Barangay Macambol.

MMSAID said that even if the court has already barred BHP–Billiton from the area, the fact that AMCOR is strongly pushing for the mining project remains.

"Magpadayon gihapon kami sa among pagbabag sa pagmina diha sa among lugar bisan kinsa pa man ang kompanya nga mohimo niini (We will continue to resist whatever mining companies that will conduct mining operations in our area), the statement declared." (Press Release)

END