Mining town seeks watershed exclusion

ITOGON, Benguet—The town that hosts the country’s oldest mines has asked the government to exclude several villages from a watershed reservation so it could develop an engineered sanitary landfill (ESL).

A resolution approved by the town council has urged the Department of Environment and Natural Resources to facilitate the exclusion of Barangay Tinongdan, Loacan, Gumatdang, Ampucao and Dalupirip from the Lower Agno Watershed Forest Reserve.

Itogon Councilor Arnel Bahingawan said Republic Act No. 9003 (Ecological Solid Waste Management Act of 2000) requires local governments to build waste disposal facilities but the National Integrated Protected Areas System (Nipas) does not allow the town to use land near a watershed for this purpose.

The town has identified a lot in Ampucao’s Sitio Tapak as a suitable landfill site that could also serve the needs of neighboring Baguio City. “But it was disallowed because [the site] falls within the Lower Agno watershed,” Bahingawan said.

“But why was a big mining company allowed to build its tailings pond in the same area?” he asked.

Itogon hosts pioneer mines like Benguet Corp. and Philex Mining Corp.

Bahingawan said the Itogon council passed a resolution in July asking the Biodiversity Management Bureau (formerly Protected Areas and Wildlife Bureau) to reconsider its position on the ESL construction in Ampucao. He said the town was still waiting for a response.

Itogon Mayor Victorio Palangdan said the local government faces sanctions from the government if it fails to develop the ESL.

“We want to comply but the restrictions enforced by Nipas are hindering us,” he said.

He said over 90 percent of the mining town is part of the Nipas protected area.

The town uses a temporary garbage containment area at Barangay Virac and two backup sites in Barangay Antamok and Tuding.

Benigno Apidos, the town’s senior environment management engineer, said the one-hectare waste facility in Virac started operating in 2014. Given the current rate of garbage collection, the Virac facility can last until 2018, he said.

He said at least 5 tons of mixed solid waste are collected daily from Barangay Tuding, Poblacion, Ucab, Ampucao and Gumatdang. Three other villages have their own containment facilities and recycling and segregation stations.

“Seeking exclusion from

Nipas does not mean that we do not want to protect our environment because we have ordinances and customary laws for the protection of our natural resources,” Bahingawan said.

The town is also pushing for a law that would protect its heritage and century-old trees, he said, adding that these trees would be spared from cutting except when these are used for medical and botanical reasons and when public safety demands. Kimberlie Quitasol, Inquirer Northern Luzon