MANILA, Philippines-Magnetite mining is threatening Lingayen Gulf and the livelihood of small fishers there.
This was the findings of the participants of the Ilocos People’s Mining Summit last weekend which decried the mining activities in the region.
The Ilocos People’s Mining Summit was attended by more than 200 delegates, mostly leaders of farmers and fisherfolk organizations in La Union, Ilocos Sur and Ilocos Norte and student leaders from Don Mariano Marcos State University, St. Paul College of Ilocos and University of Northern Philippines.
According to the participants, Lingayen Gulf, which covers the coasts of Zambales, Pangasinan, La Union, Ilocos Sur, and Ilocos Norte, is being overwhelmed by black sand mining for the mineral magnetite.
Pamalakaya, a progressive fishers group and a summit participant, said the region surrounding Lingayen Gulf is littered with mining applications for magnetite, which are found in so-called black sand, which is abundant in beaches.
Gerry Albert Corpuz, Pamalakaya spokesman, said there are 15 black sand mining in La Union, 57 in Ilocos Sur and 86 in Ilocos Norte for a grand total of 158 applications for offshore and onshore magnetite mining.
“This government is inviting a near future red carpet massacre of people’s livelihood, the grand slam plunder and catastrophic death of Lingayen Gulf in the hands of magnetite mining syndicate in Ilocos Region,” he said.
Pamalakaya said magnetite and black sand mining could ruin the coast of Lingayen Gulf. Mine tailings and chemicals used in the extraction process could seep into and contaminate the waters, which provide livelihood to the coastal communities there.
“These magnetite giants are literally and figuratively moving heaven and earth in search for huge profits at the expense of human lives, the livelihood and the environment. They are removing Lingayen Gulf from the surface of this earth courtesy of large-scale black sand mining,” Pamalakaya said.