MAIN STORIES August 28, 2016
BY GLENDA SOLOGASTOA
ILOILO City – Gov. Rhodora Cadiao of Antique hopes Secretary Gina Lopez will coordinate with the provincial government in whatever the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) will decide on the coal mining operations in Semirara Island, Caluya town.
Lopez ordered an audit on existing mines, including that in Semirara. She recently asked Semirara Mining and Power Corp. (SMPC) to explain why its permit should not be cancelled despite alleged violations of environmental laws.
“I hope the good Secretary will also coordinate with the provincial government before she makes decisions regarding Semirara. Of course, I am concerned with the environment of Semirara. But I am also concerned with the tumandok nga Caluyaños nga madulaan obra,” said Cadiao.
The result of the mining audit on Semirara, the biggest coal mine in the Philippines, may be completed next week, according Lopez who was here yesterday.
DENR’s Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) is doing the audit.
Lopez said she wanted to go to Semirara to see for herself the situation there.
Cadiao said she instructed the Provincial Environment and Natural Resources Office to prepare a folder containing multi-partite findings, the pros and cons, benefits and other information about Semirara’s coal mine. This will be submitted to Lopez.
Cadiao earlier disclosed that Lopez herself told her during a League of Provinces of the Philippines meeting in Manila recently that she wanted to discuss the mining situation in Semirara Island.
Semirara is one of the three main islands of the municipality of Caluya, the other two being Caluya and Sibay.
Even before it could fully comply with safety requirements, the coal mine operator in Semirara was granted an Environmental Compliance Certificate (ECC), Lopez said early this month.
Since July 1 when Lopez started checking compliance with environment laws, she had suspended eight mining operations.
SMPC is the country’s largest coal producer. According to Lopez, the Semirara mining pit has sunk below sea level and continued coal mining could “kill” Semirara Island.
Even as the company’s revenues reached billions of pesos, nearly half of the island is poor, Lopez lamented.
“They (people) have suffered for a long, long period of time and this is not acceptable,” she stressed.
But in a statement, SMPC said its coal mine complies fully with environmental laws.
“We would like to reiterate that (SMPC) has been fully complying with all relevant laws and regulations,” the company said.
It added: “Our mining and environmental protocols also conform with the conditions of our ECCs. We hope that our company will be accorded due process throughout any pre- and formal audit process of the government.”/PN
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