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Ilocos, Abra officials reiterate support against Lepanto

Teresa Ore will double mine wastes along Abra River

BAGUIO CITY (Oct. 8)—Ilocos Sur Governor Luis “Chavit” Singson and Abra Governor Vicente Valera through his wife Bangued Mayor Zita Valera reiterated their support to the STARM-led (Save the Abra River Movement) struggle against the pollution of the Abra River due to corporate mining. Singson and Valera’s commitments were affirmed on separate meetings with STARM and its member groups, Mankayan, Quirino, Tadian, Cervantes Danggayan a Gunglo (MAQUITACDG), Cordillera Peoples Alliance (CPA), Ilocos Human Rights Advocates (IHRA), COURAGE-Ilocos, STOP-Ex Ilocos and Abra Human Rights Advocates (AHRA) this week.

LCMCo discovered another gold reserve, the Teresa Ore Body covering barangays Suyoc, Bulalacao and Taneg, all in the Municipality of Mankayan and Binucong-Loo Buguias, Benguet.

The Teresa Ore Body which will add another 15 years to Lepanto’s gold production and together with the previous gold expansion projects called Victoria I and II will again double the production of mine wastes dumped along the Abra River System.

Singson said “It’s good there are concerned groups like STARM who are working for the preservation and rehabilitation of the Abra River”. He also stressed that before, the Abra River was of great help to the communities along the banks for their farming and fishing activities. Ludong, one of the best tasting fish found in the Abra River that costs P2,000 a kilo is now extinct due to the pollution of the river.

One of the highlights of the meeting with Singson was his full commitment, in whatever capacity to oppose the expansion of LCMCo.

Ibagayo lang no anya pay ti kasapulan a maiyaramid ket tumulongak tapno malappedan tayo ti panag-expand ti Lepanto a karkaro pay a mangdadael ti aglawlaw ken pannakaperde ti pangkabiyagan tayo nga umili nga agdepdependar iti karayan Abra”. (Just tell me what we need to do and I will help in opposing Lepanto’s expansion that ruins our environment and damages the people’s livelihood that is dependent on the river.)

Six provincial board members were present during the presentation of Dr. Ana Leung of CHESTCORE (Community Health, Education, Services, and Training in the Cordillera) on the state of the Abra River and the ill-effects of Lepanto’s mining projects on the environment and ecological balance, agricultural production, fishing activities and the health situation of communities living along the river banks. Vice Governor Deogracias Victor Savellano and board members Alejandro Bestuyong, Ponciano Bagbaguen, Jr., Jeremias C. Singson, Romeo Rapanut, Pepito Bonuan, Ana Liza Morales, Robert Tudayan were convinced about Lepanto’s culpability and based also on their concrete observations and reports coming from the affected communities. They decided unanimously to pass a resolution opposing LCMCo’s expansion project.

The governor vowed to issue a memorandum to all municipalities affected by LCMCo’s operations to consider as their priority a resolution opposing Lepanto’s expansion projects like what the municipality of Cervantes did last September 24, 2004 during a dialogue with the municipal officials.

Vigan Mayor Ferdinand Medina, likewise expressed his opposition to LCMCo’s expansion because the government wanted to make the Abra River one of Vigan’s tourist attractions. Medina committed to help STARM in its campaign because he believes that the toxic materials dumped have made the river and the seashores unsuitable for swimming, farming and fishing. He said that “Baka met no dagiti bisita nga aglangoy wenno ag jetski ket ag-gagatel ton ti kudkudilda no maggapu da idiay danum nga polluted ti Lepanto.” (Visitors who like to go swimming or jet-skiing might end up with itchy skin when they return from the waters polluted by Lepanto).

At Bangued, Abra Mayor Zita Valera said that although the governor was not present, he fully supported the fight against Lepanto expansion. During the talks, the Bangued mayor came to realize that before, “ti kunak ket dapat saan a Save the Abra River koma ti nagan ti organisasyonyo, Save the Mankayan River koma wenno Save the Ilocos River Movement koma, ngem tatta, nakitami a dakkel gayam ti epekto ti panagminas upstream ta dakami gayam ditoy baba ket maapektaran met”. (I thought your organization’s name should not be STARM, rather Save the Mankayan River or Save the Ilocos River Movement. Now we realize that upstream mining has effects on us living here downstream.)

The struggle to save the Abra River from environmental destruction and decay due to corporate mining operations is no longer an effort of groups and concerned individuals from all walks of life but municipalities and provinces affected by it as well. The growing support will continue until the day the Abra River will begin the process of rehabilitation and restoration. # Rachel Mariano for Nordis

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