Manila: A tribal chief has expressed alarm over the proliferation of mining activities in southern Philippines.
"The recent flooding in Mindanao must serve as a wakeup call for people in government and the community themselves on the risk and danger of tampering with the environment," Datu Antonio Kinoc, a chieftain in the B'laan tribe, warned in a letter addressed to President Benigno Aquino III.
Kinoc was referring to the devastation wrought by typhoon Washi (Philippine codename, Sendong) late last year.
The weather disturbance lashed the Northern Mindanao cities of Iligan and Cagayan de Oro on December 17 and left 1,268 people dead and more than 6,000 injured as well as more a billion pesos in property and infrastructure damage.
Kinoc said that being inhabitants who had cared and nurtured the land, he cannot sit idly while private enterprise wreak havoc on the environment.
"The unabated and insatiable greed of so called industrialist and economic managers to venture into industries that will destroy our environment. The claim by mining companies that they have sufficient safeguards for their operations is just palliative and sweet coated propaganda to placate the real situation. It cannot be denied that the Philippines has the lowest record when it comes to safety concerns. We always proclaim our concern for safety after the tragedy," Kinoc said.
Kinoc is an alternate member of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front Peace Panel.
While Mindanao is home to several mining firms as well as small scaled operators, Kinoc, in particular, took exception of the operations in South Cotabato of Sagittarius Mines Incorporated (SMI) in Tampakan.
Recently, SMI quarrying operations in Tampakan had been blamed for the massive flooding experienced in certain South Cotabato areas.
Aside from Tampakan, several mining concessionaires also operate in Sarangani, Davao del Sur, Sultan Kudarat, and Maguindanao, and the cities of General Santos and Koronadal.
He said that aside from causing the destruction of the environment, the mining firms also ignore local customs. "They (mining companies) even disregard the cultural perspective of the indigenous peoples, especially the mountains and forests which are considered sacred," the said.
He disclosed the B'laans continued to the mining operations, saying that in the so- called geo-hazard map prepared by the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) did not include mining areas like those of the Sagittarius Mines Incorporated and that area in Zamboanga del Norte by the Canadian firm, the Toronto Ventures, Incorporated.
