Filipinos Vote Mining Companies Off the Island

by Jess Leber · 2011-01-27 12:00:00 UTC
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The Philippines should be a global superpower in mineral production: It sits on the world's 3rd-largest deposit of copper and is rich in gold, nickel and zinc reserves.

The reason it isn't yet is partly due to the successes of anti-mining activists in this mixed Christian and Muslim nation. This was pointed out in a Wall Street Journal article two years ago.

Here on Change.org, we have a more recent example. Philippine activists have started an online petition to fight one particular deadly mining project and many others they foresee coming down the line.

They live in the province of Romblon. Aboveground the archipelago of islands is an ecological heaven, lush with vegetation, unique biodiversity, and fertile soils that nurture rice, bananas, and fruits. Underground, the islands are a jackpot for mining executives with Ivanhoe Mines Ltd. of Canada. The company recently applied for a permit to explore 14,000 hectares of land in the mountainous region of Tablas Island in the Romblon province. Due to the island's narrow topography, communities would be directly exposed to the mining operations. The mining area also covers an important watershed and forested area that provides critical flash flood protection and supplies the small island's water supply for drinking, agriculture and small industry.

What's even more worrying is that at least 24 other firms have applied for mining permits in the province. Mining, mind you, does not have a happy history in the Philippines, with toxic spills and waste affecting communities all over the nation.

Many citizens and local institutions have organized alliances to come out strongly against large-scale mining on the Romblon islands. They are calling for a permanent mining ban, and made huge progress earlier this month when the governor instituted a mining moratorium and put in place a task force to study the issue.

The groups opposed include many churches and religious leaders (Romblon Ecumenical Forum Against Mining), students at Romblon State University (Alliance of Students Against Mining), and even the ex-pat community of Romblomanons now living abroad.

One in the last category is Milex Fabula, a man born in Romblon who now is a videographer in Australia who also devotes time to maintaining NoMiningInRomblon.org, an online home for the growing coalition. He is the person who recently started the petition to recruit supporters from all over the world to support their call for a mining ban.

He says the jobs that mining would bring are not worth it to the islanders: "We strongly dispute the suggestion that mining will improve the economy and lives of every Romblomanon. Yes, probably on a short term basis. But looking at 10, 20 or 30 years down the line, we guarantee you that Romblomanon will all look miserable and hapless because of the environmental damage to our island."

More than 300 people from all over the world have already signed the No Mining In Romblon petition. Will you add your name?

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Photo credit: Courtesy of NoMiningInRomblon.org

Jess Leber is a Change.org editor. She most recently covered climate and energy issues as a reporter in Washington, D.C

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