Tags: Environment, Government Policies
By Anna Valmero
BUENAVISTA, MARINDUQUE—The local government in this town remains steadfast on its stand to prevent mining in Mount Malindig to avoid a repeat of the Marcopper mining disaster.
“We educate our constituents that there other ways aside from mining to generate livelihood for the people of Buenavista. And they too have taken up the cause to say no to mining of our mountain here because they saw what happened to Marcopper,” said Mayor Russel Sarmiento Madrigal.
The Marcopper accident was named after the Marcopper Mining Corp., which mined the copper ores of Mt. Tapian between 1970s and 1990s. The company discharged most of the mine tailings to the nearby Calancan Bay.
The open pit mine dug by the company was then used as disposal lake for mining waste but the drainage tunnel was destroyed and this resulted into the mine tailings going into Boac River, which irrigates most of the rice fields in the area.
The tailings, when exposed to the breeze, have caused lead poisoning to the villagers. The event was so severe it was tagged as a major environmental disaster.
Learning from the disaster, the local government of Buenavista has a zero policy on issuing business permits to mining contractors some five years ago.
“If there is one good thing to come out of the Marcopper incident, it was that people have realized that mining is not a sustainable livelihood source,” said Madrigal.
Instead of mining, the town government plans to promote Mt. Malindig as an adventure destination for mountain climbers, hikers and sporty tourists who are looking for a mountain that is “fairly easy or has moderate difficulty” to climb.
The mountain is 1,157 meters above sea level and shelters a variety of wild orchids and endemic wildlife.
From the base camp, one can see the panoramic view of Buenavista’s Tres Reyes Islands, each aptly named after the Three Wisemen, Melchor, Gaspar and Baltazar.
Mt. Malindig is actually a dormant stratovolcano but its once active past is proven to be linked with the presence of numerous hot springs and sulfuric pools in town.
Up until today, some parts of the mountain has not been densely forested as mountain rainforests, owing in part to the supposed huge deposits of copper and other minerals in the area, according to town councilor Florentino Pinaroc.
Summer is the best time to climb Mt. Malindig because the trail can get muddy and dangerous during the rainy season. To date, the local police dispenses the permits because the mountain has been known to house armed civilians but their numbers are kept in check by the military now, according to Pinaroc.
Related stories:
‘People’s Mining Bill’ aims to benefit more Filipinos
Filipino environmentalist works for ‘green’ future of Ipo Dam watershed
Aquino urged to prioritize environment agenda
Career Development Climate Change Education News Environment Food industry news and concerns government offices Government Policies Green Revolution Health Issues History Inventions Learning Tools Marine Life Mathematics Medical Discoveries news Renewable Energy Research and Development School Activities School Concerns Sci-Ed Awards and Competitions Science News and Developments Studies and Research on Sci-Ed Technology Tourism Training Programs Zoos and Sanctuaries
WP Cumulus Flash tag cloud by Roy Tanck and Luke Morton requires Flash Player 9 or better.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
thank you for this very informative article, anna. hopefully the locals get to promote adventure tourism. i think i’d like to try trekking mt. malindig and do a bit of landscape photography.