Ilocos folk block bid to lift ban on black sand mining
LAOAG CITY—Representatives of church groups and schools and residents have opposed a proposed resolution that would lift a ban on black sand mining in Ilocos Norte province.
The groups gathered on Friday at a committee hearing of the provincial board, which addressed the draft provincial resolution that would rationalize the position of the Ilocos Norte government on black sand mining.
The measure was sponsored by Board Member Joel Garcia, a lawyer from Batac City.
The initiative would have overturned the board’s October 2013 resolution banning black sand mining in Ilocos Norte and urging the recall of permits already issued. The resolution also voided all endorsements by local government units to mining applications.
In a March 24 letter to Ilocos Norte Gov. Imee Marcos, the provincial environment and natural resources office suggested that the “ban should cover only the stretch of the coastline municipalities of Ilocos Norte, excluding rivers and creeks.”
But at the hearing on Friday, Tony Pugyao, a village councilor of Cacafean in Marcos town, Ilocos Norte, said, “We, from the indigenous peoples’ communities living at the foot of the mountains and along rivers and creeks are the ones to be primarily affected should the black sand mining ban exempt ventures at rivers and creeks.”
“Sand mining aggravates riverbank destabilization and Laoag City, San Nicolas, Sarrat and Piddig sit along a meandering river. What they do upstream will affect everything downstream,” said Shermon Cruz, who represented the group Center for Engaged Foresight.
“Sand mining activities will surely increase Ilocos Norte’s vulnerability to climate change impacts,” he added.
Retired American serviceman Oscar Visitacion from Bacarra town said during the hearing: “It is good to make money, but is it worth [the damage to] the environment?”
Citing a previous quarry site, Arthur Valente, fishery regulatory coordinator of Ilocos Norte, said the fish habitat and several coral polyps died when a quarry operation was allowed at Barangay Masintoc in Paoay town. Leilanie Adriano, Inquirer Northern Luzon
