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IBA,
Zambales—Indigenous peoples (IPs) of this province,
commonly known as Aetas, will soon engage in small-scale
mining—thanks to Mount Pinatubo.
Gov.
Amor Deloso said a Hong Kong-based businessman, Peter
Liu, has agreed to buy the precious “black sand” that
was spat out by Mount Pinatubo when it erupted in 1991.
Some 30
Aeta families, he said, will benefit from the
undertaking, which could start in the first week of
October.
According to Deloso, the Maraunot River, located on the
eastern part of Botolan, was clogged by black sand when
Mount Pinatubo erupted. “Little did we know that the
black sand is rich in metallic minerals,” he said.
He said
there is an estimated 4 billion tons of such mineral
deposit in the said river, which the Aeta families can
extract and sell to Peter Liu.
About
60.7 percent of the black sand is iron, while 5 percent
is titanium.
Black
sand could be a source of high-quality iron. That’s why
the prospect of small-scale mining is very good, Deloso
said.
Deloso
said he is looking at initially issuing small-scale
mining permits covering 1,000 hectares, which he said
will be divided equally into five to benefit 30 families
who live in the area, the land being part of the Aetas’
ancestral domain.
He
estimated that with 1,000 hectare being mined out, 2.5
million tons a year can be extracted in the next two
years, with the Aeta families getting $20 per ton, while
the provincial government will be able to generate
income of $5 per ton.
“I’ve
already talked to Mr. Liu and the Aeta families will
finally benefit from the mining permit,” he said.
Deloso
said Liu will use a machine that can separate metallic
minerals such as iron and titanium from the black
sand. The machine is worth $300 million. |
