BUTUAN - For Gen. William K. Hotchkiss III, retired Chief of the Philippine Air Force, environmental degradation that kills thousands of people and causes terrible damages to the economy is the greatest threat to the country’s national security, thus it should be included as a major item in its National Security Agenda.

MACARTHUR, LEYTE – At 7:00 o’clock in the morning, fishermen in Lake Bito, Brgy. Villa Imelda fell down on their knees after seeing that the lake that provides livelihood for them turned brown like a 3 in 1 coffee. This was after Nicua mine operations opened their settling pond where silt flowed straight to the lake.

Tubay, Agusan del Norte – “The investigation is not yet over!” Mayor Sadeka Tomaneng reacted on the report that the Mines and Geo-sciences Bureau (MGB) had cleared San Roque Mines for its alleged failure to comply on environmental and health hazard laws.

Leyte lake fishing community block mining barges
Fear threat to fisheries livelihood

MACARTHUR, LEYTE – Hundreds of fishers from Lake Bito, in Villa Imelda village, decided to block the entry of three mining barges which aim to dredge and clean-up the silt making the lake shallow.