South Cotabato environmental groups oppose open-pit mining, launch ‘Green Votes’

KORONADAL CITY – Organic farmers and church groups launched the so-called “Green Votes” initiative following reports that there are efforts to lift the ban on destructive open-pit mining in South Cotabato.

The Green Votes is a campaign aimed at uniting organizations, personalities, and institutions to engage local leaders for the protection, conservation and sustainable development of South Cotabato’s natural resources

“We organic farmers believe in our inherent right to a healthy ecology. We are firm that we need to protect biodiversity and genetic resources, within and outside our farms. We believe that agricultural production should go with nature, not against it.”

“It is therefore incumbent upon us organic farmers to defend our watersheds which is an indispensable aspect in our production. An attack on our watersheds is an attack on our capacity to produce food and will impact our communities’ food security,” said Johnny Legaria, chairman of MASIPAG’s Provincial Coordinating Body for South Cotabato province.

MASIPAG is an acronym for “Magsasaka at Siyentipiko para sa Pag-uunlad ng Agrikultura,” a network of environmental groups and advocates which has over 50,000 members in the country.

Environmental advocates in South Cotabato have been riled up by apparent efforts to railroad the amendments of the environmental code, a landmark ordinance which has banned open-pit mining within its territories.

MASIPAG fears that once the ban on open-pit mining is lifted, the controversial Tampakan Gold-Copper project owned by Sagittarius Mining International, will commence full operations.

The mining project, if it pushes through, will to gig up an 800 meter deep open pit mine covering more than 500 hectares, all this to tap one of the world's largest undeveloped copper-gold deposits pegged at 12.8 million tons for copper and 15.2 million ounces of gold.

The Tampakan project, it said, will impact the livelihood of thousands of farmers who rely on the river systems for vital irrigation.  

MASIPAG added that the proposed project will put up a mine drainage tunnel treatment plant which will discharge to the Pula Bato River, a main tributary to the Altayan-Taplan and Marbel Rivers, and ultimately to the Buluan Lake and Liguasan Marsh. All these areas have a high volume of rice production which run the core of Mindanao’s rice granary as well as inland aquaculture along with areas that have high ecological value.

“It is laughable that we are still campaigning against mining when in fact our energies should be focused on restoring our overly exploited world to prepare us for the looming threats ahead,” said Gary Ben Villocino, Advocacy Officer of MASIPAG Mindanao.  

He added that as the challenges of an ever changing planet are pressing clearer – rising global temperatures, increasing incidence of drought and flood all of which, impact the agricultural sector.  “The need to elevate the level of public discourse on environmental protection is indispensable and the need for leaders who act on these issues is vital,” he said.

Villocino said residents of South Cotabato are also opposing the lifting of the ban on open-pit mining. “There are efforts to amend the ordinance and allow open-pit mining again and are all opposing it because of the effects it will have not only on farmers, but to the environment as well,” he told the regional newspaper Mindanao Examiner.

He said the upcoming elections offer a platform to elevate the discourse on various environmental concerns, after all, decisions on what to do without forests, lands and waters fall into the hands of political leaders who will try to market themselves in the upcoming weeks.

The Green Votes campaign, which will run up to May, will feature community and church-based discussions on agro-ecology and environmental protection. These activities will serve as a platform for public discourse and engage aspiring political leaders to adhere to a pro-environment agenda towards the local and national elections and beyond.

The end goal of the campaign is to support local leaders who themselves are environmental advocates and act towards curbing the excessive exploitation of the province’s natural resources. (Mindanao Examiner)