Expired permit puts Palawan mine in trouble
An inspection conducted by the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR), the Palawan Council for Sustainable Development (PCSD), the municipal government of Brooke’s Point, and other government agencies showed that more than 80 percent of the Ipilan Nickel Corp.’s mining claim fell within “core zones,” or highly environmentally sensitive areas of maximum protection. (Photo by JEAN FELICIANO / Contributor)
MANILA, Philippines — Residents and the local government of Brooke’s Point in Palawan province are urging the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) to issue a cease-and-desist order against Ipilan Nickel Mining Corp. (INC) for continuing to operate without a mayor’s permit.
The pushback from the community comes two weeks after the people of Sibuyan Island protested the operations of Altai Philippines Mining Corp., which resulted in an order from the DENR to conduct an investigation of the company’s alleged violations.
In a press briefing on Friday, Brooke’s Point Mayor Cesareo Benedito Jr. lamented how the mining firm ignored his order and continued to operate.
“[In the] first week of January, we sent an order telling them to stop and reminding them that they need to renew their permit,” Benedito said. “Until now, they have submitted requirements, but many are still missing for their renewal.”
On Feb. 18, residents staged a protest and barricaded the mine purportedly because residents “could not accept that the firm is disregarding the power of our mayor.”
Article continues after this advertisementJob Lagrada, a farmer and town resident, said they have seen “how irresponsible” the mining company was and that it could not control the laterite coming from the mountain.
Article continues after this advertisement‘Not socially accepted’
Laterite is a rock and soil type rich in iron and aluminum that develop under weathering, usually during high temperatures and heavy rainfall.
“The barricade was done to show that mining is not socially accepted in Brooke’s Point. This is the result of the reaction of the people during the previous typhoon [that caused] severe flooding,” said Lagrada, who is leading the demonstrators barricading in the area.
He noted that they did not see the mining workers as enemies since some of them are community members and their neighbors as well.
“What we are against is irresponsible mining that continues to operate and ignores the orders from the local government,” Lagrada said.
But the company, through its parent firm Global Ferronickel Holdings Inc. (FNI), said “we are awaiting the renewal of our mayor’s permit as we have already submitted the necessary documents and complied with all laws and regulations,” according to INC resident manager Alex Arabis.
MPSA still in force
The FNI quoted the Mines and Geosciences Bureau’s (MGB) Feb. 21 letter in saying the mineral production sharing agreement (MPSA) covering the mine remains in force until April 10, 2025, and the MGB wrote a clarificatory letter to Brooke’s Point Vice Mayor Mary Jean Feliciano that INC still holds the exclusive mining right to the area spanning 2,835 hectares, with 260 hectares already partially declared as a mining area.
“To resolve the issue on the effective date of the MPSA, the DENR has issued the order dated December 21, 2021, confirming that the effective date of the same MPSA shall be reckoned from the date of the execution of the amended MPSA,” it said.
A total of 3,739 indigenous people (IPs) from Barangays Aribungos and Calasaguen voted in favor of INC while in Barangay Calasaguen, 100 percent of the eligible voters backed the company.“This led the IPs from Barangays Barong-Barong, Ipilan, Mambalot, and Maasin to concede in favor of INC,” it added.
