DEFEND ILOCOS AGAINST MINING PLUNDER

BANTAY, KARAYAN KEN BAYBAY, SALAKNIBAN!

c/o BAYAN Ilocos Office, Balaleng Centro, Bantay, 2727 Ilocos Sur
www.defendilocos.weebly.com e-mail: defendilocos@yahoo.com landline: (077) 722-7933

June 20, 2014

A POSITION PAPER ON THE SUPPOSED ABSENCE OF
BLACKSAND MINING IN ILOCOS SUR


In light of the statements made by Gov. Ryan Luis V. Singson that there is no blacksand (magnetite) mining
operation and his opposition for such operation in Ilocos Sur during the Provincial Environmental Summit on
June 19, 2014, we have authorized Mr. Sherwin De Vera, our Research & Education Officer to share to the
public our following stand on the matter when he was asked by ABS-CBN Ilocos to comment on the issue:

1) While our officials are free to express their opinion on the matter, in fact they are very much welcome to
declare their position in accordance to their belief, but facts will remain stronger than mere words
blacksand mining continues to exist in Ilocos Sur and in fact facilities and equipment are being
prepared now in Tamurong and Puro, Caoayan. Facilities for magnetite sand extraction are still present
in other coastal areas of the province and people continue to observe new magnetite separators being
delivered in some municipalities adjacent to the previous areas mined for magnetite sand.

2) The name of the company that will undertake the dredging operation speaks for itself Isla Verde
MINING COMPANY.

3) We welcome our Governors statement that he will not allow magnetite sand extraction in the province.
This is a strong statement given that two of his brothers Randy and Rommel are both presidents of
mining companies that applied for mining permits covering Ilocos Sur. We thus challenge him to put
this declaration into a more substantial commitment by urging the Sangguniang Panlalawigan to enact
a resolution and ordinance banning magnetite sand extraction in Ilocos Sur.

We encourage PGIS to submit a Verified Opposition against all mining companies applying for
magnetite sand as primary commodity of interest covering the province. The greatest test of
commitment at the moment for Gov. Ryan Singson is convincing his siblings to retract their application
for magnetite sand extraction. We hope that next month the updated mining tenement status being
published by the mining bureau will indicate that Grand Total and Mina Fortuna have withdrawn their
application.


In addition Defend Ilocos would like to clarify and inform all individuals of the following:

a) The term dredging is being used by officials either unknowing of its technical definition or to
consciously deceive people. Wikipedia (which quite accessible to most of our officials) defines
dredging as an excavation activity or operation usually carried out at least partly underwater, in
shallow seas or fresh water areas with the purpose of gathering up bottom sediments and disposing
of them at a different location. Thus, dredging is basically a process being undertaken for a purpose
eg. to maintain water ways, extract aggregates and minerals.

b) As an excavation activity in a submerged environment dredging will disturb the ecosystem. This
would include the suspension of sediments and toxic materials deposited at the river or sea bottom.
Suspended materials will cover corals and sea grasses, deplete light underwater and lower dissolve
oxygen. The area covered by the operation in Caoayan is a critical ecosystem, home to many organisms.
Thus, a systematic study should first be undertaken to evaluate the impacts and identify mitigating
measures before any dredging operation.

c) The technical study undertaken by Isla Verde Mining Corporation is basically a feasibility study to
undertake mining operation. De-silting the river is an accidental benefit, since, to extract the target
minerals it would first require to excavate the overburden and/or take materials underwater before the
separation process. Furthermore, other facilities and infrastructures proposed by Isla Verde are part of
the entire selling package of the mining company or corporate social responsibility (CSR). Thus, it is
erroneous to present as if these so called benefits are utang na loob of the community, when it is in
fact the responsibility of the company, a meager share of the community from the huge profit of the
company. In their own business proposal, Isla Vera projected only about P1.6 Million in local
government revenue and 10% of its operational expenses for CSR.

d) A deeper probe of the Isla Verde document also reveals that the area covered by the operation is treated
as a mine site. A section of the paper projects the estimated volume of annual extraction and expected
MINE LIFE. The company will also enjoy exclusive rights for the dredge materials and minerals
including its disposal. The company will only be charged for a few operational permit.

We therefore proposed the following to Gov. Ryan Luis V. Singson:

e) Since he has already expressed his opposition to the extraction of magnetite sand, we urge him to
review the terms which the PGIS entered with Isla Verde. As we have pointed in c and d, under the
agreement the company will undeniably extract minerals. While under review, the dredging program in
the Mestizo and Abra Rivers should be put on hold, pull-out the vessels and commission an
independent study on the possible ecological impacts of the project.

f) The governor should commit time and resources in pursuing justice and exacting accountability from
the mining companies that operated illegal mines along the coast of Caparacadan, Caoayan; Tamorong,
Sta. Catalina and Pudoc and San Sebastian in San Vicente; file the appropriate administrative and
criminal charges to the local officials who condoned the operation; and ensure the rehabilitation of the
mined areas.

Only by doing this can the provincial government start to redeem itself from its silence and inutility when
massive extraction of magnetite sand was taking place just a minutes away from provincial capital.






DONNA RABANG PETA REV. MARCELINO MARIANO
Convenor Convenor
Peoples Solidarity Against Large-scale Mining Ilocos Sur Ecumenical Movement
09078540100