Tacloban City (CNN Philippines, January 17) — Environmental advocates in Eastern Samar are set to hold a prayer rally on Saturday to oppose mining operations on the historic island of Homonhon and call out the “environmental degradation in any parts of Samar.”
Advocates are expected to join the prayer assembly dubbed \”Jericho Walk\” at the Immaculate Conception Parish in Guiuan town.
\”As we start the year with hope and courage, we continue our advocacy on environmental protection and care for our common home to address the issue of mining and environmental degradation in any parts of Samar,\” Caritas Borongan wrote in its invitation posted on Facebook.
But organizers of the event said they could not hold a protest at the Guiuan Town Plaza because the local government unit (LGU) had not granted them a permit.
When asked about the allegation, Guiuan Mayor Annaliza Kwan said in a text message, \”They did not apply for a permit for their prayer rally this January 20, 2024. That is the truth.\”
Caritas Borongan chairperson Fr. James Abella and the social media pages of the Diocese of Borongan and Caritas Borongan have yet to answer queries to verify the mayor’s comment.
Kwan, meanwhile, expressed hope for a peaceful assembly of the anti-mining group this Saturday.
Last year, the Diocese of Borongan organized two prayer rallies against mining operations in Eastern Samar. The first protest was in August, but the activity in November was canceled because organizers were not granted a permit.
READ: DENR, MGB urged to probe ‘unethical’ mining in Eastern Samar
Environment officials say no violations found
In an earlier interview, Glenn Marcelo Noble, regional director of the environment department’s Mines and Geoscience Bureau Region 8 (MGB-8), said their monitoring found no grave violation committed by mining companies operating on Homonhon.
The presence of mining companies in the province of Eastern Samar province is mainly in Guiuan town, specifically on the islands of Homonhon and Manicani. At the moment, there are mining operations on Homonhon, according to the MGB-8.
\”There are no grave violations,\” Noble said. \”Meron mang konti, kunyari nasira ‘yung kaniyang siltation pond, eh, pwede namang ayusin ‘yan. Nagkaroon ba ng major spills, wala.\”
[Translation: There might be some, for example, the siltation pond was damaged but that can be fixed. Were there major spills? None.]
The three mining firms that are present on Homonhon are Nickelace Inc., Chromiteking Inc., and Emir Mineral Resources Corp. Of the three, Emir has yet to be granted permit for its application for a 25-year mineral production sharing agreement, while the two were granted in 2009.
Based on MGB-8 records in 2023, Nickelace and Chromiteking were able to ship 8.22 million metric tons of nickel ore and 25,000 metric tons of chromite to China last year.
Guiuan mayor: Land use and dev’t plan for Homonhon in the works
Knowing Homonhon’s serious environmental problem, Kwan said the LGU, together with environmental planners from the University of the Philippines, will craft a comprehensive land use and development plan for the island. The community will also be included in the process, she said.
Kwan added they aim to start the development of the master plan this first quarter of 2024, once the weather is favorable for visiting the 20-kilometer island.
The town mayor said the master plan will focus on balancing protection of the environment and people’s livelihood. As of 2023, mining firms on Homonhon and Manicani had 4,500 workers, she added.
\”Homonhon has a lot of potential and a lot of problems, but there is no comprehensive plan and vision for the island,\” Kwan said.
Facing the Pacific Ocean, Homonhon Island is part of Guiuan town and is home to more than 4,413 residents, based on the 2020 Census of the Philippine Statistics Authority. It is best known as the first landing site in March 1521 of Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan, who circumnavigated the world under the Spanish flag.
