Shame campaign up vs miners

Trophy for the SCAM Awards. (Photo courtesy of LRC-KsK/FoE Phils. CDO)

ENVIRONMENT groups in Cagayan de Oro said they will bestow "honors" as insult on mining companies found neglecting their corporate social responsibility to communities where they operate.

"Shame Campaign Against Mining" or Scam Award was launched Friday to promote public awareness on the rampant violations in mining industry, said Ma. Zherwinah B. Mosqueda of the Legal Rights and Natural Resources Center/Kasama sa Kalikasan-Friends of the Earth Phils (LRC-KsK).

LRC-KsK, the Alyansa Tigil Mina and the Alternative Law Groups are non- governmental organizations (NGOs) behind the initiative, which will be a year-long series of activities documenting and exposing alleged violations that mining companies commit in various areas around the country.

Just like any award-giving bodies, the NGOs involved in the project have invited communities and other like-minded green groups to participate in the nomination process."A jury will evaluate nominees, each of whom will be judged by the impact of their violations to the environment and the communities," said Mosqueda.

She said the evaluation for each mining company will be based on the data culled from the yearlong investigation of violations committed.

An "Awards Night" will cap the entire selection process, said Mosqueda, where winners will be announced-including the criminal cases to be filed against them.

"The massive mining in the Philippines seems to be unstoppable. Big time miners get away with the crime unpunished-that's why we're rolling out this award," she said.

She also lamented the "inability" of the Environment Department in stemming the tide of exploration applications flooding the agency.

"The problem with the DENR is that they established one stop shop for mining applications and provided specific procedures in the issuance of area status and clearance, provide the mining companies with security and file cases to those who oppose mining," she said.

She added: "In Mindanao, there are many large scale mining companies wasting away hundreds of hectares just to satisfy their greed."

Locally, she named Opol, Naawan, and Manticao towns in Misamis Oriental and Cagayan de oro as hotpots for alleged mining violations.

(Published in the Sun.Star Cagayan de Oro newspaper on May 30, 2010)