Diocese 'very much disturbed’ by increase mining activity on Homonhon Island
Bishop Crispin Varquez of Borongan speaks out. In 2021 the local priest had asked Philippine authorities to stop "desecrating" the island where Magellan landed in 1521, and from where Christianity began to spread. The local governor recently called for taxes collected from companies operating in the area to be handed out to local government units.
Manila (AsiaNews) – Mining activity has increased near Guiuan, the city on Homonhon Island, where the evangelisation of the Philippines began in the early 1500s.
This has led Bishop Crispin Varquez of Borongan to issue a statement saying that he was "very much disturbed" by the “escalated” mining.
At least four mining companies operate in Homonhon. “Their immediate and negative effects on the communities and the natural environment are very alarming,” Bishop Varquez said. “We call on our government leaders and concerned agencies to take action on this matter,” he added.
This is not the first time that the Diocese of Borongan has addressed the problems associated with mining on Homonhon, Eastern Samar Oriental province (central Philippines). In 2021 a local priest asked local and national authorities to stop "desecrating our island”.
“Our ancestors consider our island as sacred and blessed. But what have we done after 500 years? We have desecrated it. We lost its sacredness because of our being irresponsible,” said Fr Christian Ofilan, pastor at St John the Baptist Parish, in his homily.
Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan landed on Homonhon in 1521 bringing the Christian faith to the archipelago.
Homonhon has large nickel and chromite deposits. In 2021 alone, 605,176 metric tonnes of nickel and 19,105 metric tonnes of chromite were extracted.
A year earlier, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the diocese protested against the government, then led by President Rodrigo Duterte, calling for a halt to loading operations at least during the health emergency.
After doing so initially, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) reversed itself in April 2020 and allowed the transfer of 7,000 metric tonnes of chromite to a Chinese-crewed cargo ship as part of the activities of Techiron Resources, one of four companies operating on the island.
A DENR official rejected suggestions that the loading was secret, timed to coincide with the enhanced community quarantine imposed on residents; instead, he noted that Techiron was complying with all the requirements needed to operate during the pandemic.
A few weeks ago, Eastern Samar Governor Ben Evardone reported that local government units had not yet received their share of excise taxes collected from mining activities near the city of Guiuan.
According to Governor Evardone, the four companies operating in the province (Techiron Resources, Emir Mineral Resources, King Resources Mining and Global Min-met Resources) reported profits of 9.3 billion Philippine pesos (US$ 170 million) in 2022.
Under the 1991 Local Government Code, local governments are entitled to 40 per cent of the gross earnings from “mining taxes, royalties from mineral reservations, forestry charges, and fees and revenues collected from energy resources” in their areas.
“The share for local governments is a big help to realise development projects, such as road concreting, water supply, and school buildings, among others,” the governor said.
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07/02/2019 17:28
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