Alarm raised over continuous flooding in Brooke’s Point, Palawan
- Alyansa Tigil Mina
- 6 hours ago
- 1 min read
Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) raised alarm over the continuous flooding on the first week of January this year in Brgy. Mambalot, Brooke’s Point, Palawan that damaged crops of local farmers and caused anxieties among residents.
Vic Colili of ATM’s Council of Leaders (CoL) and also an indigenous leader of Brooke’s Point, reported that reddish water flooded the homes and fields of residents for three continuous days.
“We suspect that the polluted water, which may also be poisonous and dangerous, is a result of large-scale mining in our area. Compared to other barangays where the is no mining, the color of the water in Brgy. Mambalot is darker and thicker.”
Colili called on the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to address the complaints of the residents and to investigate the mining operations in the municipality.
“What we are experiencing now is a repeat of the floods that hounded our communities in 2023, also in early January. The flooding was caused by continuous and heavy rains but the murky waters was brought about by mining activities.”
“Climate change will bring more frequent and stronger rains, and flooding will be worsened by large-scale mining. There is an urgent need for government to choose the protection of our forests and environment over destructive mining,” Colili said.
The municipality’s residents persist in demanding a halt to mining operations in their area. “Unless mining is stopped permanently, we will continue to suffer from its devastating consequences. Government must show a clear bias for the environment and communities instead of catering to the interests of mining companies,” Colili said.
