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Cantilan LGU Officials,
Farmers, Religious Organizations Firm No to Mining
Tandag
City, September 26, 2008: The Religious, headed by Cantilan Parish
Priest, Fr. Pete Ubalde SSJV in cooperation with Mayor Tomasa C.
Guardo, the Sanggunian Bayan and CarCanMadCarlan Baywatch
Foundation, held a prayer rally at the town kiosk on September 26,
2008. In her welcome speech, Emma Hotchkiss, Baywatch President
stated that the rally was a clear message to Congressman Philip
Pichay, Governor Vicente Pimentel, the Association of Barangay
Captains, and the DENR that the people of Cantilan do not want
Marcventures Mining and Development Corporation (MMDC) and Carac-an
Development Corporation (CDC) to operate in Cantilan. As widely
publicized by the mining companies, both the Congressman and the
Governor approve the mining companies operations.
Congressman Pichay is widely publicized saying that Marcventures
Mining Company will bring “kalamboan” to the area. The governor
recently ordered the resumption of the access road rehabilitation of
MMDC after the Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) suspended it in
early July 2008.
MMDC and CDC, companies both owned by the family of Mario Vijungco,
operate in the Madrid, Cantilan and Carrascal areas. The two MPSAs
total almost 10,000 hectares located mostly in Cantilan’s 17,047
hectares forested land. The mining areas are more than half the size
of the municipality’s 6,962 hectares of Alienable and Disposable
land area.
Cantilan LGU has constantly opposed mining in the area. The Madrid
and Carrascal LGUs both issued resolutions opposing MMDC’s
operations because of its potentially adverse impact on the
watershed of Carac-an and Alamio Rivers. Both rivers supply water to
the National Irrigation Administration’s irrigation systems that had
been in existence since the 1980s and have since held water rights
to the rivers. The NIA, leading opponent of both mining operations,
operates the irrigation systems in Madrid, Carrascal and Cantilan.
The day started with a Dawn Rosary around town by the Marians, GKK
and Religious Groups, followed by a mass at 5:30 a.m. Close to 800
farmers, Manobos’, members of religious groups, and KAHAYAG members
from Carrascal came to quietly march at 2:30 p.m., starting from the
church grounds going towards the main highway, passing through the
residence/office of Mario Vijungco before it looped back to the town
kiosk across from the church. Hundreds more were waiting at the
kiosk grounds for the marchers. The crowd was estimated to be around
1,800 people.
Cantilan Mayor Tomasa Guardo, Sanggunian Bayan members Arturo Sunga,
Jr., Jeannete Palang, Preciliano Guardo, and Erma Cuarteron were on
the stage to show their support to the cause. Fr. Pete led the
prayer for the preservation of our environment followed by Pastor
James Bat-ao with a stirring prayer in Manobo language asking the
preservation of their ancestral land. Datu Daengan Cesar Bat-ao,
Provincial Chieftain of the Manobo tribes talked about Marcventure’s
lack of Free Prior and Informed consent from his people. He has a
case filed with the Ombudsman against the Mines and Geosciences
Bureau (MGB) and the National Commission on Indigenous People (NCIP).
Dr. Isidro Olan, President, Lovers of Nature Foundation spoke about
Ventura Timber Corporation’s (VTC) corporate irresponsibility while
operating its Timber License Agreement. He alleged that VTC
indiscriminately cut logs in and outside its TLA and tried to ask
LGU Cantilan to allow it to sell the cut logs even when its license
to operate has not been renewed. Records show that on April 17, 2008
the DENR under Iñigo Collantes CENRO, confiscated 417 pieces or
1,544.77 cubic meters of VTC illegally cut logs at Lobo, Cantilan
and Babuyan, Carrascal, Surigao del Sur. VTC granted its mineral
rights to MMDC in 1994.
Mayor Tomasa Guardo invited the throng to bring their relatives and
neighbors to the MMDC Environmental Impact Assessment on September
30 to let the EMB know that they don’t want mining in Cantilan. She
asked the people to come to the hearing like schools of “bolinao,”
or anchovies to overwhelm the big fish, which is MMDC.
Vicente Iriberri, Baywatch Vice President, presented a slide show
that highlighted the “Truth” behind MMDC. Baywatch claims that MMDC
was not a legal entity during the transfer of mineral rights from
VTC; it falsified documents by intercalating with a ballpoint pen
the date on a duly notarized Deed of Assignment entered by VTC and
MMDC; MMDC’s Environmental Work Program did not mention the
existence of irrigation systems, dams and irrigated farmlands in the
area, instead it described the area as “generally planted to
coconut, fruit trees, rootcrops, seasonal vegetables, corn and rain
fed rice.” Baywatch further claims that the reinstatement of MMDC
and CDC MPSA’s was illegally exercised. Both MPSAs were cancelled
for non-performance in October 15, 2004—11 years after the MPSA was
granted. There are no records that the companies did exploration
work, one of the conditions for cancellation in the Mining Act of
1995.
Although not the last to speak, Rev. Fr. Rafael Batoliño Carrascal
Parish Priest hit hard at the Barangay officials, reminding them to
respect the freedom and integrity of the people. He started with a
defense of the Rev. Bishop Nereo P. Odchimar of the diocese of
Tandag, who was publicly called a liar and sanctioned for
“committing acts unbecoming of the bishop” by the Cantilan
Association of Barangay Captains. “This is not the only time the
diocese of Tandag fought for the people’s interest. The stand of the
church has been studied, thoroughly thought, and analyzed for a
while.” “The bishop is helping the people but the Barangay officials
are attacking him—he is not the right person.” You are being used as
instruments of greedy interests.
The Barangay captains received P90,000.00 each from MMDC for social
development programs. MMDC is still in exploration phase of their
operations and is scheduled for an EIA public consultation on Sept.
30. Under RA7942, The Mining Act of the Philippines, the company
should undertake Social Development Management Program during the
Development Phase where 1% of operations cost will be used for the
program.
For Details, Contact:
Emma Y. Hotchkiss
Cell Phone: 0906-352-3018
Email: emmayh@yahoo.com |
