Mining firm alarms LGU Borongan, DENR

By ALICE NICART
October 11, 2010

BORONGAN, Eastern Samar  –  The local government unit (LGU) of Borongan is set to file a temporary restraining order (TRO) against a mining firm which is allegedly extracting the top soils of several northern barangays: Siha, Maypangdan, Tabunan, Tamoso even Bugas.

Municipal Administrator, Dayan Agda stood firm in his statement to this writer, that this mining firm did not seek the permission of Borongan LGU in regard to its operation which to his information had been on-going since May 2010.

“We are filing a case against this mining company,” Agda confirmed over the phone.

Similarly, the Provincial Legal Office of the Province, thru Mr. Victor Apura denied any knowledge about the extracting operation being done along the outskirts of Borongan.

The information trail followed Department of Environment and Natural Resources’ (DENR) pronouncement on air through Radyo ng Bayan DYES, that such activity is on-going in these barangays, with the residents unknowing of the hazard it poses their environment even to their future.

Information Officer, Dorinda Labro informed that some residents are paid P220 a day to extract the top soil around them, by the mining operators.

“But the residents do not know the name of the Mining firm,” Labro said.

She appealed particularly to the residents of barangay Siha and San Saturnino (Takyang) where, there are currently paid labors, to understand the consequences when their top soil would all be transported to far America (as reported).

“Wara ta na pagtatanman, kay milyon ka tuig it at huhulton antis hibalik an sugad nga kadamo han tuna nga nawara”, cautioned Dorinda. [We would have nowhere to plant on, as we will have to wait for million years, before we can restore the same volume and fertility of our soil]. She also stressed that, if we will have to make clay out of stones, that would be hardest and most difficult.

Speaking from the spiritual view, Dorinda said, that the minerals we see from under the ground are all God’s gift to mankind and a Land Title, if somebody had to argue, entitles him only to harvest what are on top of the ground and not  those from underneath.

Some information reaching the office of Mr. Agda said that these soils are extracted for exploration purposes; they are being tested either for confirmation or otherwise, for rich mineral reserves in the Borongan perimeters.

However, the staunch environmentalist strongly argued that any mining firm must not pursue an activity as it is damaging to mankind.