More than 100 members of peasant associations, cause-oriented groups and environmentalists have formed an anti-mining alliance called Defend Patrimony-Southern Negros recently, a press release from organizers said.

The group is an offshoot of an anti-mining conference at Brgy. Dancalan, Ilog, Negros Occidental last week, it said.

The group said in its press statement that opposition to mining operations is expected to swell because of the experience of the adjacent areas in southern Negros that clearly manifest the impact of mining on the people.

Mining creates more problems and destroys the livelihood and the environment and the benefits it brings, the press release said.

Since the declaration of the Supreme Court that the Mining Act of 1995 is legal and constitutional, with the aggressive promotion of the Arroyo government of mining operations, it added.

There is a deluge of mining applications in Southern Negros hundreds of thousands hectares of agricultural lands and encroach on forest and watershed areas, the group also said.

It added that there are about 300 hectares of riceland in Sitio Dung-e, Brgy. Manlucahoc, Sipalay will be destroyed when Colet Mines and the Hinoba Goldings Inc. will transform the area into a huge waste dam.

Philex Mining Corporation is also conducting explorations in the forested areas of Cauayan and Sipalay, the group said.

The group welcomed the statement released last week by the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines, that called for the scrapping of the Mining Act of 1995. *CPT

back to top