The Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) has approved the loading of minerals carried by a Chinese-manned vessel in Homonhon Island, Eastern Samar amid the quarantine period.
Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) Director Wifredo Moncano has confirmed the DENR’s latest decision, according to a report by independent media group FYT.
“Maybe to reduce the economic damage (caused by the COVID-19 pandemic),” Moncano said.
MV VW Peace was supposed to load 7,000 metric tons of chromite ore, worth P61 million before it was barred by Guian town. The vessel is carrying 13 Chinese and 4 Myanmar nationals as personnels.
Homonhon residents, the Catholic Church, and Eastern Samar local government units have opposed the unloading of the cargo ship due to the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). The entire province was placed under community quarantine on March 22.
DENR Secretary Roy Cimatu then instructed MGB-8 to direct the mining firm Techiron Resources to delay the shipment from Homonhon Island to China. It also suspended the mineral ore export permit, which it granted to the mining firm days after the province declared a lockdown.
A notice to the mining corporation “will be subject to the resolution of this crisis or a resolution of this concern on shipment with the IATF (Inter-Agency Task Force),” MGB-Region 8 was quoted in the report.
Following an IATF meeting, the DENR secretary gave instructions on the lifting of the suspension of the export permit which will be carried out after the “strict implementation of the requisites,” Moncano told FYT in a phone interview.
On April 11, the mining company was allowed to proceed with the shipment as a certification from the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) stated that the company is an exporter. Continued operations of export-oriented companies is a national policy.
“The policy on the unhampered flow of cargoes is a nationwide policy that must be strictly followed in all LGUs nationwide following the directive of President Rodrigo Roa Duterte on 19 March 2020,” it added, citing the IATF.
MGB-8 directed Techniron Resources to follow the IATF health protocols and guidelines.
Meanwhile, residents of Homonhon Island were shocked with the DENR decision to resume the mineral exports.
“Nakakadismaya ang desisyon,” Father Christian Ofilan of the island’s St. John Baptist Parish said in the report.
“We thought na ipagtatanggol kami ng gobyerno, pero parang mas nangunguna ang interes ng foreign nationals,” Ofilan added.
