© 2013 Sibuyan Island Sentinels League for Environment Inc. (Sibuyan ISLE) . Courtesy of Dipl.-Ing. Stephan Perschke

Mining will undermine the island’s ability to feed itself or develop its significant eco tourism potential.

 

 

Dr. Robert Goodland

& Clive Wicks

Authors

Philippines: Mining or Food?

A mother sings hymns of justice

 

Many people were already gathered outside a vacant lot in Sitio Olango that early morning packed with their usual campaign paraphernalia (banners and placards) stating their opposition against the proposed Sibuyan Nickel Project.

 

The hundred strong demonstrators were determined to block the way of the mining staff who were supposed to conduct an inventory of trees that will be cut for the project. That situation was very unusual for that peaceful place; the grazing land on the other side of the road remained calm with the soft breeze of the air while the towering Mount Guiting-guiting seemed to be watching them silently. >read more

 

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Testing Executive Order 79: Sibuyan Island

 

The controversial Executive Order 79 signed by President Benigno Simeon C. Aquino III and its Implementing Rules and Regulations are already set in place. What’s next?

 

Consider the case of Sibuyan Island, situated in the middle of the Philippines and is composed of three municipalities belonging to the province of Romblon. This ice-age island is undoubtedly a hotspot for biodiversity conservation as seen by the scientific community. Almost every year, new biological species are being discovered. >read more

 

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24 mammals endangered

 

Zubiri identified these species as the Palawan fly fox, Isarog shrew mouse, Binturong, Dinagat hairy-tailed rat, Dinagat hairy-tailed cloud rat, Panay bushy-tailed cloud rat, Ilin hairy-tailed cloud rat, bushy-tailed cloud rat; flying lemur, Philippine tube-nosed fruit bat, Southern Luzon giant cloud rat, Dinagat gymnure, wooly flying fox, grey flying fox, small flying fox, white-winged fruit bat, little golden-mantled flying fox, bearded pig, Visayan warty pig, Philippine warty pig and the Calamian treeshrew.

 

Three others that do not have common names and which come from Sibuyan Island, Mindoro and Sulu—were also included in the list. >read more

 

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Sibuyan and Romblon

 

The people are so nice though. Good English because many moved there from other islands, and very welcoming. After I found the fruits I was looking for, I returned to my thingsat the port, which was secluded and completely deserted except for two officers who I knew were sleeping in the office but who wouldn't answer my calls at the door. So I laid out my pad on a bench and went to sleep. >read more

 

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Defending the environment

 

One of our leaders had been shot to death that very day in an isolated island called Sibuyan. He was killed by an armed mining security officer while leading a protest against a research activity funded by a mining company. He was infuriated by the fact that mining conglomerate dummies were given special license to cut some 70,000 trees and the world’s largest nickel mining company was trying to invest in the island.

 

To my knowledge, this is the only environmental killing case which a court tried to resolve. The punishment was three years imprisonment for the killer, after five years of seeking for justice. >read more

 

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Off to Sibuyan

 

I had the great pleasure of visiting Romblon's Sibuyan Island last year, but it was not the first time I saw it. In 2007, it was the site of a huge protest action, with the whole town expressing indignation at mining activities in the community.

Visiting the place made me all the more convinced that the Philippine government should be very meticulous in approving mining applications, and particularly exempt small island ecosystems from such destructive operations. Sibuyan is a beautiful island, and that is an understatement. >read more

 

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Island folks remember slain environmentalist

 

Commemorating the fifth death anniversary of slain anti-mining activist and public servant Armin Rios Marin, friends, relatives and other advocates gathered in his residence in Sibuyan for a silent reflection and candle-lighting ceremony.

 

Marin, elected municipal councilor in 2007, only served three months in service after he was shot to death by a mining security officer of Sibuyan Nickel Properties Development Corporation (SNPDC) during a picket against researchers commissioned by a mining company. >read more

 

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Mutant candidates in the making

 

Today, we commemorate the fifth anniversary of a man who sacrificed his life for his people. He was elected councilor for his staunch stand to defend the fragile ice-age island ecosystem of Sibuyan in the province of Romblon. As he joined the island’s defenders, they successfully kicked out the world’s largest nickel mining company. Though he only served for three months, he lived by his principles and public trust to the last breath of his life – we have given him the power and together with the community, nourished and made it a platform for selfless public service and payment for ecological services. >read more

 

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Romblon LGU rejects another mining application

 

Municipality of San Fernando in Sibuyan, Romblon will not participate in any process pertaining to the application for Mineral Production Sharing Agreement (MPSA) of Fil-China Mining Development Corporation, said Mayor Dindo C. Rios.

 

In a letter dated last August 13 sent to Roland de Jesus, MGB Regional Director for MIMAROPA, Mayor Rios stressed the provisions in the mining Executive Order 79 (EO 79) stating that protected areas shall be spared from mining.

> read more

 

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Romblon mayor keeps hands off feldspar

 

San Fernando Mayor Dindo Rios in Sibuyan, Romblon, will have nothing to do with the application for Mineral Production Sharing Agreement of Fil-China Mining Development Corp. to extract feldspar.

 

In a letter dated August 13 sent to Mines and Geoscience Bureau Regional director for MIMAROPA Roland de Jesus, he justified the town’s position citing Executive Order 79 on protected areas.

 

“The whole island is a protected area as a mangrove swamp forest reserve pursuant to Presidential Proclamation 2152,” said Rios in a statement. >read more

 

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Romblon municipality rejects mining deal

 

The municipality of San Fernando in Sibuyan, Romblon, will not be involved in processing Fil-China Mining Development Corporation’s application for a mineral production sharing agreement, Mayor Dindo C. Rios said Monday.

Fil-China submitted an application in January 1994 to the Mines Bureau for a mineral production sharing agreement to mine and develop feldspar, a mineral used for glass and ceramics manufacturing. >read more