Blackballed

THEY MAY have not seen it coming. Or maybe they did and were actually counting on it. Either way, the Sangguniang Panlalawigan heard everything they needed to hear during a public hearing on whether to allow black sand mining in the province or not.

Of all the invited guests to the public hearing, not even one—save for the Dept. of Environment and Natural Resources officials—was in favor of black sand mining. Neither were they backing SP member Joel R. Garcia’s draft resolution rationalizing the total ban of black sand mining in Ilocos Norte.

And in an unexpected twist, even the DENR officials there—specifically provincial and environment resources officer Juan P. de los Reyes—said he was now also against black sand mining.

The rationalization of the earlier resolution stemmed from a letter of Mr. De los Reyes who called the attention of the provincial government about the total ban on black sand mining. In his letter, Mr. Del los Reyes said rivers and creeks should be excluded from the ban.

During the hearing, however, DENR’s suggestion to exclude rivers and creeks was immediately shot down by the resource speakers as they pointed out that Padsan River, the province’s main river, is now actually a “traumatized” river. And mining it might produce worse effects to communities near it. Coupled by climate change, the effects of mining the river may result in a very brutal man-made natural disaster.

Mining has never been really beneficial to anyone except the mining companies. And the indigenous peoples’ representative—brgy. councilor Tony Pugyao—to the public hearing succinctly stressed the point when he emphasized that it is the IPs who are immediately affected by disasters when we try to overreach our limits when we deal with our natural resources.

And as futurist Shermon O. Cruz pointed out, the provincial board can pass a resolution rationalizing the black sand mining ban but when its unnatural effects exacerbate the effects of climate change, could they then pass a resolution stopping climate change and its deadly effects?

Balls

APPARENTLY, the rationalization draft resolution’s raison d'être is for the provincial government to toe the line of the national government’s policy as contained in Executive Order 79 of Pres. Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III.

The EO’s title speaks for itself: it was made to provide guidelines to ensure environmental protection and responsible mining. And as much as this EO has been heavily pilloried by environmentalists, it does not actually open all of the Philippines to mining. It simply put safeguards to protect the environment and the people that would be adversely affected by mining.

Section 12 of the EO also calls for “…the need for social acceptance of proposed mining projects and activities.” And though LGUs have been advised to “confine themselves only to the imposition of reasonable limitations on mining activities conducted within their respective territorial jurisdictions that are consistent with national laws and regulations,” banning black sand mining in the province is quite reasonable.

Actually, it is more than reasonable as its effects to communities are very devastating as evidenced by our neighboring provinces which allowed black sand mining. As environmentalists are saying: Mining is particularly senseless in a time of rising sea level when sand is sorely needed as a storm energy buffer.

If Atty. Garcia is concerned that Malacañang would not take kindly to their resolution totally banning black sand mining in Ilocos Norte, we wish to remind him that they would never really look kindly to Ilocos Norte no matter what they do.

An Aquino is in Malacañang and our governor is a Marcos, to paraphrase DILG Sec. Manuel “Mar” A. Roxas II.

And as if this is still not enough, Atty. Garcia should just open his eyes to the fact that his constituents—the very people he is supposed to be serving is here in Ilocos Norte—and not in a palace by the Pasig River.

For in the end, if PNoy is really sincere in saying that the people are his boss, then there would be no problem if Ilocanos here decide to ban black sand mining—and he should just accept it.