No black sand mining in Region 1 – DENR-MGB
PUT the black sand mining issue to rest.
This was the implied stance of local government officials and representatives of the Department of Environment and Natural Resources-Mines and Geosciences Bureau (DENR-MGB) as reports of alleged black sand mining have been revived in national media.
MGB Region 1 Officer-in-Charge Director Engr. Carlos Tayag, speaking in a press conference during the first day of the 13th Regional Mining Summit on March 13 held in Dagupan, categorically said that there is no mining of black sand, also known as magnetite sand, in Pangasinan or anywhere else in the region, which also covers the provinces of La Union, Ilocos Sur, and Ilocos Norte.
Tayag’s statement was bolstered by the result of the inspection by MGB team of the alleged mining area in Lingayen covering four barangays, namely Sabangan, Estanza, Malimpuec, and Capandanan. The team reported no mining activity in the area.
Officials of these coastal barangays also belied allegations that black sand mining has been going on in their communities.
Kagawad Vicente Oliquino of Barangay Sabangan told reporters during a press conference that he is considering filing charges against the instigations of the “malicious” news reports for dragging his name into the controversy.
Oliquino, also the president of the Aro Mo Ako Sambayanan was reported earlier as one of the complainants in a graft case filed against Pangasinan officials including Gov. Amado Espino Jr. in connection with the alleged black sand mining.
Other barangay officials who joined Oliquino in disavowing their involvement in the controversy were barangay chairmen Diosdado Santiago Jr. of Capandanan, Romeo Manuel of Sabangan, Hipolito Perez of Estanza, and Delfin Velasco of Malimpuec.
“OLD HAT”
Provincial officials, meanwhile, have dismissed the issue as an “old hat being resurrected by the governor’s critics and detractors.”
Orpheus Velasco, provincial information officer, pointed out that the black sand mining issue was used by the political enemies of Espino during the campaign period last year in a bid to discredit the governor.
Alvin Bigay, provincial housing and urban development coordinating officer, added that there could be no mining activity in the area since preparations for the implementation of the ecotourism project are already underway.
He explained that what was mistakenly viewed as black sand mining was part of the preparations for the construction of a golf course where unwanted elements including magnetite sand have to be extracted to allow grass and other golf course vegetation to grow.
He said that the extraction was allowed by the Environmental Management Bureau (EMB) as part of the golf course construction process and pointed out that the magnetite stockpile remained untouched in the area.
SMALL-SCALE MINING
Meanwhile, Tayag said operations of small scale mining companies will also soon stop in the region as these are now being organized into a bigger group for the “Minahang Bayan” program, which will be operated by cooperatives.
Presently, only cement manufacture is the major mining industry in Region 1 with Holcim Philippines based in Bacnotan, La Union and the Northern Cement in Sison, Pangasinan.
There are calls to make certain areas in San Nicolas and Natividad towns in Pangasinan as mining sites as these areas are potential gold-bearers.
Meanwhile, Engr. Antonio Cafirma, chief of the MGB-Region 1 Mining and Environment Safety and Health Division (MESHD), said his office conducts regularly inspects and monitors all the operating mines, quarries, crushing plants and cement plants.–Johanne R. Macob with report from PIO
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