ATM STATEMENT ON THE STATE OF THE NATION ADDRESS (SONA) 2024
Alyansa Tigil Mina Statement | July 22, 2024
Mining at all costs. Big business over marginalized communities. This is how the members of Alyansa Tigil Mina (ATM) sum up the two-year old administration of President Bongbong Marcos, Jr. concerning the mining industry.
PBBM has barely warmed his seat as President two years ago when his government announced that it was pursuing the revitalization of the mining industry.
True enough, it embarked on an aggressive promotion of mining, underscoring mining’s supposed role in the post-pandemic economic recovery. However, NEDA Secretary Arsenio Balisacan himself has revealed that by the end of 2023, the mining sector’s contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) stood only at 0.5 percent.
Just recently, the government has been spouting rhetoric on the need for more mining as transition minerals are purportedly required for renewable energies.
Indeed, the government’s push for mining is reflected in the data of the Mines and Geosciences Bureau. According to the MGB June 2024 Mineral Industry Statistics, there are already 116 approved and registered Mineral Processing Permits in just the first quarter of 2024. But in 2023, these permits numbered to a total of 127, increasing from 115 in 2022. Meanwhile, Exploration Permits increased by five (5) or a total of 49 in the first quarter of 2024 from just 44 permits in 2023.
In the midst of all these, mining-affected communities have been demanding the cancellation of mining permits and a halt to destructive and illegal mining operations. Over the course of two years, barricades have been put up in Brgy. Didipio in Kasibu, Nueva Vizcaya, Sibuyan Island in Romblon, Brooke’s Point in Palawan, and Homonhon Island in Eastern Samar, among other sites of struggles. But despite their protest actions, petitions and dialogues with government agencies, the communities’ pleas and demands remain unheeded.
In the meantime, the President’s first cousin, Speaker Martin Romualdez, is cashing in on mining as he appears to use his influential government position to expand his stakes in the extractives industry. Just recently, it was reported that his family-owned company, Bright Kindle Resources and Investments Inc., is acquiring an iron sand mining firm in Leyte through a P5-billion share swap deal.
According to a 2024 study by ATM, Speaker Romualdez has strong links with mining companies, such as Benguet Corporation (BC) and Marcventures Holdings Inc. (MHI). However, his family has been very cunning in hiding their ownership of the mining companies. But although the paper trail finds that no Romualdez is named as beneficial owner, ATM’s study reveals that the Romualdez family has a considerable level of control in the mining firms.
Aside from re-invigorating large-scale mining, the PBBM government has also enabled seabed quarrying and offshore mining. Despite the moratorium in new applications for seabed quarrying permits imposed by the previous administration, seabed quarrying and offshore mining has become more active in the present government.
Currently, there are 11 large-scale offshore mining projects all over the country. Also, based on a list obtained from the Philippine Reclamation Authority (PRA), there are 175 reclamation projects lined up at different stages of application.
Affected communities have further reported seabed quarrying activities disguised as river dredging operations in the provinces of Pangasinan, Zambales, Marinduque, Oriental Mindoro, Negros Occidental and Cagayan. They suspect that materials extracted from these sites are used as dredge fill materials for Manila Bay reclamation projects.
Furthermore, unabated mining happens in the context of disastrous landslides in mining areas and in an escalating climate crisis. We have repeatedly stated that the destruction of the environment and the violations of the human rights of communities, especially those of indigenous groups, women and the youth, through mining and other extractive activities are simply unacceptable.
On this third State of the Nation Address, we call on the Filipino people to stand in solidarity with mining-affected communities. Let us continue to resist the assault on the environment and communities by profit-hungry mining corporations.
And together, let us hold accountable the BBM presidency and concerned government agencies on the adverse impacts of mining in various areas of the country. Let us continue to fight against the blatant bias for big corporations at the expense of mining-affected communities.
Comments