Among the 7,000-odd islands of the Philippines, Sibuyan Island stands out.
A 46,000-hectare island in the province of Romblon, one-third of Sibuyan is a protected area. Despite its proximity to Manila, it is one of the more difficult areas to access in the country.
Having been separated from the mainland as far back as the last Ice Age, Sibuyan boasts some of the highest endemicity among all the islands of the archipelago.
There are plants and animals that you find here, on the slopes of Mount Guiting-Guiting, that are found nowhere else in the world. In 1997, it still had as much as 75 percent forest cover, as well as the most beautiful and clean rivers.
As a key site of the National Integrated Protected Areas System (NIPAS), the mountain and its park enjoyed protection under a presidential proclamation.
Microcosm of the Philippines
Unfortunately, rare plants and animals do not often make a significant contribution to development in emerging economies.
Many traditional products of Sibuyan, e.g., copra, abaca, basketry and a natural varnish drawn from almaciga trees, were replaced by synthetic substitutes and lost their competitiveness, reducing the island to what was described as an economic backwater.
Out-migration began and the remittances of overseas workers became its main source of income.
A Dutch embassy officer once described Sibuyan as a microcosm of the Philippines. Everything you saw elsewhere in the country, both good and bad, was found here.
It was no surprise, therefore, to see mining land on its shores.
In July 2006, the Sangguniang Barangay of Taclobo approved the island’s first endorsement of a mining application.
Marin, together with many other Sibuyanons, drew a line in the sands. Mining debate started.
Through the last 12 months, many things transpired.
A consortium of mining companies, called Sibuyan Nickel Properties Development Corp. Ltd. (SNPDC), was formed. Among the applicants for mining activity in Sibuyan are Altai Mining, Sun Pacific, All Acacia, San Roque Mining, and Pelican Resources.
On the other side of the fence, the Sibuyanons against mining organized rally after rally on the island, feverishly lobbying at government offices and in Congress for support.
Local anti-mining groups revealed that mining activity on the island had grown exponentially to the point where, at present, there are 13 active mining sites surrounding the mountain and its national park.
The mining juggernaut churned on, fueling even greater local opposition. The mining debate rose in decibels.
Reyes’ clearance
On Aug. 24, 2007, shortly before Secretary Angelo Reyes left the DENR, he approved five special cutting permits to clear forest land for mining activity on Sibuyan. Clearance was given to cut down an estimated 59,000 trees, making up more or less 4 million board feet of timber from Sibuyan’s lowland dipterocarp natural forests.
Some areas approved for cutting sit barely 100 meters away from the core zone of the protected area.
These permits included areas around the headwaters of the Cantingas, Punong and Olango rivers, water sources of barangays Taclobo and Espana.
In a world facing climate change, where all remaining forest stands provide a major umbilical toward the future, an action as severe as this is simply dysfunctional.
Sense of betrayal
Everything many Sibuyanons had fought for were now going to officially disappear, through a clearance given by the very department whose mandate it is to sustainably manage this area.
The permit was reportedly issued to a consultant of Altai Mining. The proceeds from this sale would once again leave Sibuyan and bring greater wealth to the mainland.
The injustice was palpable, a sense of betrayal filled the air and the mining debate roared.
On Wednesday, an elected public servant was shot dead in broad daylight.
A line must, once again, be drawn in the sand.
Where is the limit?
If sustainable development remains a sincere objective, there is a limit to everything. In the case of mining, what is that limit? It must be defined.
And, if government does not have the will to make that definition, communities will.
Shall we allow it to get to that? Where are the standards? They must be made public.
And all who choose to venture into this business must be transparent, remain fully accountable and abide by these limits and standards. Companies that fail to comply, must be closed down. This is the rule of law.
Our country is a patchwork of land-use overlaps. Protected areas overlap ancestral domain titles that, in turn, overlap mining claims and watersheds. We have allocated more land than we actually have. This, by its very structure, is a patchwork of conflict.
Artifact of dictatorship
Seeing this, if a mining company does not demonstrate the sincerity and capability to deal equitably, amicably and productively with local communities, it should be closed down and all its permits withdrawn.
The promotion of a culture of violence is not in the strategic interest of this nation and goes against the public good.
As an artifact of the dictatorship and our recent political past, this is something we should get rid off. It is simply wrong and makes our country a pariah in the greater community of nations.
Lasting solutions are founded on fairness, true dialogue and the establishment of mutually beneficial relationships.
Consistent law enforcement and public compliance have been one of our greatest national weaknesses for decades now. Whether in logging, in fishing, in government contracts, tax collections or simple traffic rules -- the story is the same. This must stop.
We pay our taxes to ensure peace and order, a stable economy and a predictable future. This is our contract with government. It is the people’s right to demand good governance and full delivery.
When government calls the shots, government must make things work well. The best laws that are not enforced consistently are not good laws. They are a waste of public funds. They erode, rather than build, our nation.
In a government of the people, by the people and for the people, that is the least we deserve. And, when human life is taken, justice must be served.
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