Quicksand

“We do not inherit the Earth from our ancestors, we borrow it from our children”—Indian proverb.

THIS QUOTATION should be best remembered when we are dealing with the environment. And this happen more often than we think.

The Earth has existed for 4.54 billion years; humans have existed in this earth for 2.5 million years. The Earth has evolved quite well on its own and it was only when humans started to exist that it developed environmental problems.

If the Earth could speak our language, it might very well tell us to stop destroying it. Nevertheless, it has spoken in its own language through supertyphoons and the current climate change problem.

The current issue in the province whether to allow black sand mining has touched a lot of Ilocanos. Apparently, most of us know of the experiences of our neighboring provinces which allowed black sand mining. And from those experiences, we know enough that black sand mining is a death knell for beaches—or rivers and creeks as local DENR officials suggested.

During a public hearing on the Sangguniang Panlalawigan session hall presided by SP member Atty. Joel R. Garcia, those invited as resource speakers rose as one to reject the draft resolution proposed by the lawmaker.

Atty. Garcia is the same person who sponsored a provincial board resolution banning black sand mining in the province. Though he was not really doing an about face when he introduced the draft resolution rationalizing the ban, most people believe he did turn his back on his earlier stand.

As much as I understand the SP member, he ought to be reminded that he was elected by the people of Ilocos Norte and that his loyalty should be to them and not to people from somewhere else. If he believes that the resolution banning black sand mining would run counter to EO 79, then it would be up to Malacañang to convince Ilocanos that black sand mining would be good to the province.

PNoy’s executive order on mining is not a blanket authority for him to allow mining anywhere in the country. It does not also preclude communities, cities, municipalities and provinces from having their say when the specter of black sand mining is being dangled on their heads. Last time we checked, we are still a democracy—and as a democracy, the people have a say on anything, especially to matters that would affect them.

If PNoy’s claim that the Filipino people are his bosses, then Atty. Garcia does not have to lose sleep over the earlier black sand resolution as this is the same voice of the people of Ilocos Norte—they do not like black sand mining.

But in the case Malacañang wrath fall on Ilocos Norte simple because we don’t want black sand mining, then we will know then—for sure—that his “boss” quip would be as empty as his “Daang Matuwid” slogan. And we can all then shout in unison for him to shove it—and show the world how duplicitous our President is.

Black sand mining is fodder for disaster. Should we allow our beaches—or rivers and creeks—to be mined, we will no longer have natural protection against flashfloods, storm surges—and God forbids—tsunamis.

This is an issue where our collective voices should—and must—be heard. The Ilocano people have spoken. It is now up to the provincial government to hear these voices—or they could just simply succumb to political expediency.