DAVAO CITY – Environmentalists joined by church leaders protested during a public hearing Thursday for the entry of two mining companies for a copper-gold mining project in Punta Malabrigo, Lobo, Batangas.
Peti Enriquez, secretary general of Bukluran Para sa Inang Kalikasan (Bukal), a network of environmental advocates, said they will not wait for disaster to happen because of the mining activities in their province.
A public hearing was held Thursday for the entry of Mindoro Resource Limited and Egerton Limited.
PJ Santos, coordinator of Kalikasan Peoples Network for the Environment – Southern Tagalog, said large-scale foreign mining results to environmental plunder.
“They deceived the people of its promised basic developments of providing jobs and improvement of livelihood but loomed destruction of the environment, loss of livelihood, displacement of communities and caused health complications,” Santos said.
The groups denounce the endorsement of the local government of Lobo in letting foreign mining companies continue their operations despite of protests and resolutions filed by the people to stop mining in the province.
“The permission of our government to let these foreign mining companies use our land and resources for mining is a direct violation of our constitution, a violation to our national sovereignty,” Enriquez said.
During the public hearing, the Archdiocese of Batangas stood firmly against extractive and destructive projects like mining.
Fr. Dakila Ramos, director of Archdiocesan Ministry on Environment said that the church led by Archbishop Ramon Arguelles calls for the unity of the people to oppose and stop mining activities in the province.
