CLAVER, Surigao del Norte—The Department of the Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), backed by battle-clad soldiers and the police, nailed on Friday two signs “reemphasizing the suspension order” against a nickel-mining operation owned by Rep. Prospero A. Pichay Jr. of the First District of Surigao del Sur. The two 1.5-meter by 4-meter signs read: “Notice to the Public: The mining operation of Claver Mineral Development Corp.[CMDC] is hereby suspended.”
The signage was placed at the side of the entrance to the company’s field operation here near the mountain barangay of Cagdianao in the boundary with Surigao del Sur. There was no resistance from the guards, who witnessed it.
Environment Undersecretary Arturo T. Valdez said the putting up of the signs “only reemphasizes the authority of the government and to announce that the task force is ready to enforce the order.”
He said the company operation was suspended in 2012 over environmental issues, including siltation of the bay of Claver.
Environment Secretary Regina Paz L. Lopez also announced early this month the DENR was suspending the operation of CMDC, after an audit found it to have erred on environmental protection.
The company claimed, however, it is a “responsible mining company that sets and upholds the highest ethical standards and business practices, focusing toward local community development and
maintaining environmental and ecological balance.”
CMDC was established in 1995, taking over from the Shenzou Mining Group Corp. of China.
The regional Mines and Geosciences Bureau said there are 26 mining operations in the Surigao mountains, and the flattening of its mountains to ship the soil to China has generated public uproar. Photographs show copper orange-colored mountains made dusty by incessant diggings by several hundred bulldozers and trucks transporting them to barges, which transfer them to Chinese cargo ships waiting off shore. Valdez said 27 Chinese cargo ships were waiting for their soil loads on that Friday alone.
The local Coast Guard said that, for many years, several ships were regularly seen at the bay, and could reach as many as 50 at the peak season of hauling mountain soil.
The regional DENR said the local mining capabilities were unable to process the soil ores dug at deeper depths and had to be transported to China for further processing.
Valdez said the fate of the unabated practice of Chinese cargo ships would depend on the outcome of the national audit of all mining companies, which would be decided by September.
So far, they have not received any threat in the course of their auditing and described the posture of the mining companies as “cooperative.”
“Our work may be small, but it is like a wallop. What we would do in six years would surely have a deep and far-ranging impact for the next generation,” he said.
Image credits: Manuel Cayon