FEB.

17, 2014

NR # 3380

House approves on 3rd reading bill declaring Nueva Vizcaya mining-free

The House of Representatives has approved on third and final reading House Bill 3667 seeking to declare the province of Nueva Vizcaya as a mining free zone !eputy "peaker and #one !istrict of Nueva Vizcaya Rep $arlos %adilla& principal author of the 'ill& said the enactment of the 'ill into la( is important to his province and his constituents& and (ill affect not only the present 'ut also the future generation of the people of Nueva Vizcaya The 'ill provides it shall 'e unla(ful for any person to mine or engage in mining operations in Nueva Vizcaya Violators shall 'e penalized (ith 6 to )* years imprisonment and a fine of %)++&+++ to %,++&+++ -f the offender is a corporation& firm& partnership or association& the penalty shall 'e imposed upon its officer or officers -f the offender is an alien& he or she shall immediately 'e deported (ithout further proceedings after service of sentence and payment of fine The 'ill refers to mining as .the e/traction of valua'le materials or other geological materials& e/cluding gravel and sand mar'le This shall include large0scale and small0scale mining activities involving e/ploration& feasi'ility& development& utilization and processing $iting the destructive effects of mining& %adilla referred to a report 'y the Alyansa Tigil Mina titled .#egacy of !isasters1 *+)) National 2ining "ituationer 3 -t said there is no denying& the country4s e/perience has 'een more de'ilitating& if not scaring 5urthermore& mining operations have al(ays 'een e6uated (ith environmental destruction0deforestation& slope desta'ilization& soil erosion& desertification& (ater resource degradation& defertilization& crop damages& siltation& alteration of terrain and sea 'ottom& increased (ater tur'idity and air pollution %adilla also cited a report 'y Ro'ert 7oodland and $live 8icks titled .%hilippines1 2ining or 5ood93 (hich pointed out that .forest loss has led to a decline in the production of rice& the country4s staple food 3 #ike(ise& %adilla said $lark "hort: a mem'er of the British %arliament (ho had the opportunity of studying the mining situation in the %hilippines stated .the stark choice facing the %hilippines is 'et(een a fe( years of mining and thousand years of irrigated rice 3 .Nueva Vizcaya is not only self0sufficient 'ut even net e/porter of rice -n addition& a 'ig portion of our vegeta'le sold in the markets of 2etro 2anila comes from Nueva Vizcaya These and many other agricultural products are produced in a'undance in Nueva Vizcaya&3 said %adilla

But& he said& they are concerned not only (ith their o(n food re6uirements and the livelihood of the people of Nueva Vizcaya 'ut also (ith the (ell0'eing of their neigh'oring provinces and regions .#et me stress that Nueva Vizcaya serves as a (atershed for ma;or (ater irrigation and hydro facilities hosted 'y neigh'oring provinces and regions 5irst& he said the 2agat multi0purpose dam in the province of -sa'ela& considered one of the 'iggest in <sia& (hich irrigates )=>&+++ hectares and generates 36+ mega(att of electricity partly gets its (ater re6uirements from Nueva Vizcaya "econd is %anta'angan dam (hich gets >+ percent of its (ater from Nueva Vizcaya <nd third are <m'uklao and Binga dams (hich are served 'y the (atershed of 2t %ulag& the highest mountain of #uzon (hich is partly situated in Nueva Vizcaya .-nevita'ly& the destruction of Nueva Vizcaya4s (atershed (ill have a negative effect on these facilities ?n a sad note& a'out ,+ years ago <m'uklao and Binga (ere under construction (hich resulted in the su'merging of a num'er of Benguet -ndigenous $ommunities (hose displaced families no( settle do(n in the valleys and mountains of Nueva Vizcaya Today& ironically& their homes and farmlands are again threatened 'y the intrusion of mining companies&3 %adilla said He said even other -% communities in Nueva Vizcaya are 'eing threatened 'y dislocation 'ecause of the effects of mining .?ther -% communities in Nueva Vizcaya are considering that the mountains and forests (hich constitute almost 7+ percent of the province4s land area are inha'ited 'y tri'al communities of -'aloi& @alanguya& @ankanai& Bugkalot& !adiangan& -sinai& 7addang& -(ak& Tuale& !umagat and the like These are the people (ho are producing the 'est citrus& root crops and 6uality vegeta'les&3 he said %adilla said the anti0mining campaign in Nueva Vizcaya has strong pu'lic strong and this is led 'y the 2ost Rev Ramon Villena& the 'ishop of Bayom'ong& Nueva Vizcaya& and N7? and other religious leaders A3+B rbb