The House Committee on Natural Resources recently approved proposals that sought to declare Palawan, Biliran, and Cotabato as ‘mining-free’ zones in a bid to prohibit all forms of mining operations and activities within the provinces’ territorial jurisdictions.
House Bills (HB) 1158, 1230, and 3119, respectively authored by Palawan Rep. Gil Acosta, Biliran Rep. Gerardo Espina Jr. and Cotabato Rep. Jose “Ping-Ping” Tejada, aimed to protect the environment and the people from the negative effects of mining.
“Mining in Palawan is said to have destroyed forests and caused siltation of water resources. While mining provides job opportunities for some, the degree of damage to the earth, on the livelihood of farmers and Palaweños’ general well-being has become exceptionally alarming,” Acosta was quoted saying in a Manila Bulletin report.
Espina, in HB 1230, expressed his concern with regards to the province’s topographical characteristics, citing that Biliran is composed of two major volcanic islands and that the province’s topography is enough evidence that mining operations and activities will be destructive.
“To prevent flash floods from recurring, mining operations must be totally prohibited,” Espina said in the report.
Tejada, on the other hand, hoped that his bill would be considered by both houses of Congress.
HB 3119 was approved by the House of Representatives on third and final reading and was relayed to the senate which disapproved of it due to lack of material time.
“The catastrophic effects of mining are the conditions that our children and future generations will have to endure – a deadly inheritance abridging the right to life, livelihood, health and security. We are the world that we live in, and the people of the province of Cotabato choose to live free of mining,” Tejada pointed out.
Violators of the proposed acts will face six to 12 years of imprisonment and a fine ranging from P1-M to P10-M as penalty, and any public officer who violates the proposed acts shall be dismissed from service and perpetually disqualified from holding public office.
