CENRO BRETAŇA: NO TO OPEN-PIT MINING!
City Environment and Natural Resources Office (CENRO) Head Augustus Bretaña has finally broken his silence and expressed his strong opposition to the lifting of the open pit mining ban in the province of South Cotabato.
“No to Open Pit!”, Bretaña’s categorical response when asked regarding his stance on the controversial issue.
In an interview, Bretaña claimed that, based on the location of the City of Koronadal, it is one of the areas that would be greatly impacted once the open-pit mining activities begin. According to him, there are allegedly four barangays in the City of Koronadal that were part of the Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA). These barangays include Bo.7 (Barangay Topland), Cacub, Mabini and Bo.5 (Barangay San Jose). However, he has yet to validate such information.
Bretaña added that, to date, the City of Koronadal has not even received any invitation for a meeting or consultation, nor has the Sangguniang Panlungsod issued any resolution relative to the matter.
“I have yet to determine the boundaries. Accordingly, there are more or less two thousand hectares covering four barangays in Koronadal that are said to be covered by its FTAA. If this is the case, the areas of Koronadal will be at stake”, Bretaña said.
A Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) is a contract which involves financial or technical assistance for large-scale exploration, development, and utilization of mineral resources.
Meanwhile, Bretaña shared his reservations on open-pit mining. According to him, the said method will undoubtedly jeopardize our food security, water sources, and the safety of the communities, not only in Koronadal City but also in the neighboring provinces, cities, and municipalities.
“There is no such thing as perfect engineering. Open-pit mining will jeopardize our food security and will pose hazards to people’s health and the environment. It may be applicable to other places, but not here where there are communities adjacent to the area.” Bretaña stated.
Along this line, the City ENRO head urged the officials and legislators of the province to be more prudent and responsible with their decisions.
“They should be prudent enough to decide on this. There’s a lot to consider. It should not have been expedited just for the sake of the investors while the community became the sacrificial lamb”, Bretaña said.
On May 16, the speedy approval of the amended Environment Code of the province, particularly Section 22.b, by members of the Sangguniang Panlalawigan (SP) of South Cotabato, stirred controversy not only in the region but also all over social media.
Multi-sectoral groups in Region 12 have expressed dismay over the sudden decision of the provincial lawmakers to overturn the ban on open-pit mining provided in the Environment Code of the province after twelve (12) years.
Meanwhile, Bretaña, being a member of the South Cotabato League of Environmental Officers, has yet to receive an official statement from the league regarding its collective stance on the issue.