Anti-mining barricade leaders launch ATM's Mining Hell Week; Demand a stop to destructive mining
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Community leaders from five anti-mining barricade sites gathered at the launch of Alyansa Tigil Mina’s Mining Hell Week today to call for an end to mining activities in their respective communities.
Jaybee Garganera, ATM National Coordinator, stated, “By coming to Manila, the leaders are essentially bringing their barricades to the city, hoping the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will urgently address their complaints and cancel existing mining permits.”
Brenie Morcilla, Secretary-General of Unahin Natin Lagi and Diyos (UNLAD) from MacArthur, Leyte, shared that they put up a barricade last February 2 to prevent a huge cutter suction dredger from passing through to extract black sand from their agricultural lands. Thereafter, the MacArthur Iron Projects Corporation (MIPC) sought the assistance of the local government unit to withdraw the dredger from its location.
“The MIPC’s decision to pull out the dredger is not enough since they can always resume their black sand mining operations. We want a permanent stop to mining, so the DENR must cancel the company’s permit,” Morcilla said.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth Ibañez, Coordinator of Sibuyanons Against Mining (SAM), wants the DENR to act on their petition to cancel the permit of Altai Philippines Mining Corporation (APMC), which they filed in March 2025.
“It’s already one year since we filed our petition for cancellation, yet we have not heard any word from the DENR,” she said, emphasizing that AMPC had violated several laws and had not secured necessary permits for their operations. Last month, Sibuyan residents commemorated the third anniversary of their barricade against the mining company.
On the other hand, Carmi Macapagao, President of Homonhon Environmental and Rights Defenders (HEARD), said they were protesting the expansion of mining activities by Emir Mineral Resources Corporation (EMRC) into a tenement area that contains important water sources and is situated near a public school.
“We also erected a barricade so their mining equipment won’t be able to pass through. This is the reason the Mayor and the MGB suspended their operations, though there has been no written order,” said Macapagao. “We are also monitoring and opposing any new permits and expansion activities of other mining firms in Homonhon.”
Elizabeth Cabal of Protect Manicani Island Society Inc. (PROMISI) said they are opposing the Manicani Nickel Mining Project of Hinatuan Mining Corporation (HMC) because “it threatens the island’s ecological balance and undermines the environmental protections that have been put in place.
Manicani Island is part of the Guiuan Marine Resource Protected Landscape and Seascape Area that serves as a critical habitat for numerous species unique to the region. The residents’ barricade seeks to have the 15-year extension of HMC’s Mineral Sharing and Production Agreement (MPSA) cancelled.
As for Dupax del Norte, Florentino Daynos, known as "Bro Tinong" of Dupax del Norte Environmental Defenders (DDNED), said in a statement that during the second hearing of the Senate Committee on Local Government, he called on the DENR-MGB not only to suspend but also cancel Woggle Corporation’s permit. He added that the mining company agreed to remove its equipment within three days and begin rehabilitation within a month.
Daynos emphasized that Woggle Corporation was granted an Exploration Permit without proper and genuine consultations. He also noted that the company had cut at least sixteen (16) trees without securing a tree-cutting permit.
“These violations of the terms and conditions under Woggle’s permit are valid grounds for its cancellation. We challenge the DENR to file a case against Woggle and hold the company accountable for its violations,” he said.
“The residents have suffered at the hands of the police because of unlawful arrests, harassment, and intimidation. We set up the barricades not only to oppose mining but also to reflect our genuine love for our children and their future. We chose to exercise our legitimate right to assembly and freedom of expression. Besides, what other option do we have when government agencies ignore our calls and demands?” he added.
Garganera announced that the community leaders are seeking a dialogue with DENR officials so that their concerns are heard and their demands met.
Alongside the launch of the Mining Hell Week, ATM also launched its report, entitled “UnderMining Rights: Mining-Induced Human Rights Violations and Environmental Destruction”.
“We also hope that through this report, the various issues concerning mining-affected communities, particularly human rights violations and abuses, will be surfaced and eventually addressed,” Garganera said, as he criticized the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos, Jr. for its aggressive push for large-scale mining.
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