Quezon City, Philippines –
Members of Protect Manicani Island, Inc. (PROMISI) troop to a meeting of the
members Protected Area Management Board for the Guiuan Protected Landscape and
Seascape today to protest on what they call another attempt from Hinatuan
Mining Corporation (HMC) to load mine ores from the Island of Manicani in
Easter Samar.
Mano Marcial “Gaeng” Somooc, who
joined his members in 2017 in a caravan leading to camp out in front of the
Department of Environment and Natural Resources to call on Secretary Roy Cimatu
to put an end to mining in the island and disapprove application of HMC for
another mining contract in the island said, “Ayaw namin sa causeway na planong
itayo sapagkat hindi namin alam kung para saan ito at kung sino ba ang
makikinabang dito.” (“We are against a planned construction of the causeway as
the purpose and who would benefit from the said construction is unclear to
us.”)
HMC, a subsidiary of Nickel Asia
Corporation, is applying for a Special Agreement in Protected Areas for a new
causeway to be constructed in Brgy. Banaag in Manicani Island. In 2017, the
mining corporation failed to renew its application for another mining contract
but remained the island under a care and maintenance agreement with DENR.
Esayra Abucejo, a bonafide
resident of the island said, “The area targeted for the construction in Brgy.
Banaag for a new causeway by HMC is not even accessible to community members
living in that barangay.” She further laments, “What will be the trade-off for
the causeway this time?’) Rebecca Destajo, a member of PROMISI who joined the
caravan and camp out in DENR in 2017 stated, “Why is it that the focus of the
discussion in PAMB is not the rehabilitation of Manicani Island as part of the
Guiuan Protected Area when it is their role to push for a rehabilitation of the
mine site on the first place.”
The E-NIPAS Act – the national
law governing all protected areas in the Philippines, including Guiuan Marine
Reserve where the island is part of, states, “If the permits, contracts,
agreements are not renewed, such areas shall be rehabilitated or restored by
the permit holders within the period provided by the pertinent laws and shall
revert to the national parks classification (REPUBLIC ACT No. 11038 E-NIPAS
Act, Sec. 20).”
Lyn Bergado, a resident of Brgy.
Hamorawon, also a young member of PROMISI said, “the causeways in Brgy.
Buenavista and Banaag are perfectly functioning and were constructed to serve
the communities specially the fisherfolks of the island. This is the reason why
we doubt the purpose of the construction of another causeway in Brgy. Buenavista.”
Mel Asia, Project Officer of
Partnership Mission for Peoples’ Initiatives (PMPI), an NGO supporting the
island communities in Guian, Eastern Samar said that the LGUs of Guiuan should
thoroughly implement the provincial ordinance declaring a moratorium on mining
in Manicani Island. “Their goal is to also ensure the integrity of Guiuan
Marine Reserve,” she continued, “The impact of Typhoon Yolanda and now Covid-19
pandemic to the livelihood of people in the island communities should be more
than enough reason for the current members of PAMB Guiuan to prioritize rehabilitation
of Manicani Island and other areas within their jurisdiction.”
“The planned construction of
causeway will not answer the pressing need of the people in the area for
livelihood and health protection at this time of pandemic. Clearly, this action
will benefit more the mining company, the applicant of the causeway and not the
people.” Asia further stressed.
