Antique’s upland towns face threat amid proposed mineral reserve declaration

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ILOILO CITY, Philippines – The Mines and Geosciences Bureau (MGB) in Western Visayas is pushing to declare four upland towns in Antique as mineral reservations, a move that could pave the way for large-scale mining operations. The proposal, if approved, could put over 7,000 hectares at risk – an area rich in deposits of copper, gold, chromite, and silver.

Patnongon, San Remigio, Valderrama, and Sibalom are among the towns under consideration for the designation, a decision that threatens to set the stage for deeper exploration and potential mining activities. The land is now at the center of a contentious debate that pits environmental concerns against the prospect of economic development fueled by mining.

The proposed declaration, according to the MGB, seeks “to preserve strategic raw materials needed for national development, protect certain minerals for their scientific, cultural, or ecological value, and promote orderly development and utilization of mineral resources.”

The proposal has faced strong opposition from civil society groups, churches, non-governmental organizations, and community leaders.

In a position paper submitted to MGB-Western Visayas in December 2024, the groups warned of serious environmental, social, and economic risks for the province.

They argued that while the declaration doesn’t permit mining right away, it reserves the area for mining, setting the stage for projects that could pose major risks.

“It has a potential to jeopardize crucial [areas encompassing] vital watersheds that provide drinking water to multiple municipalities and irrigate uplands’ agricultural heartlands,” read part of the position paper. “Mining operations in this sensitive mountain ecosystem could exacerbate disasters like landslides and flash floods, threaten Antique’s agricultural sector, disrupt the local economy, and downstream communities dependent on these life-sustaining resources.”

The position paper submitted to MGB-Western Visayas director Cecilia Ochavo-Saycon has 14 signatories, most of whom are from church groups based in San Jose de Buenavista. They are as follows:

• Bishop Marvyn Maceda of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose de Antique
• Reverend Father Edione Febrero, superintendent of the St. Joseph Diocesan Catholic Schools
• Reverend Father Frederick Rubido of the Ecology Ministry, Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose de Antique
• Romil Arsenio, coordinator of the Diocesan Commission on Youth
• Richard Petinglay, outreach head of the Brotherhood of Christian Businessmen and Professionals (BCBP) in San Jose, Antique
• Reverend Father Joeselito Escote of the Diocesan Commission on Social Action, Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose de Antique
• Dr. Ralph Garcia, president of JOC Multisports Incorporated
• Reny Muescan, manager of the Antique Provincial Government Employees Multi-Purpose Cooperative
• Lawyer Rolly Pedriña, president of the Dihon sa Raya Institute
• Pio Evangelio, president of the Sangguniang Laiko of Antique
• Susan Q. Nermal, operations chief of Hublag EVEJLO Incorporated
• Dominic Romero, president of the Students’ Ecological Emissaries for the Defenders, St. Anthony’s College
• Dr. Robler Pechueco, president of the Hayaghay Sa Ambon Association Incorporated
• Reverend Father Alvin Liboon of DYKA/Spirit FM, Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose de Antique

Threat to water security

The groups pointed out that the proposed mineral reservation threatens water security as it overlaps with the Sibalom River Watershed, which supplies drinking water to the four towns and provides irrigation to Sibalom, Antique’s rice granary.

The watershed is considered one of the last remaining lowland rainforests on Panay Island, providing crucial habitat for endemic and endangered species such as the Visayan warty pig, Visayan spotted deer, and the Rafflesia speciosa, the world’s largest flower.

The Sibalom Natural Park, a part of the watershed, is a declared protected area covering 5,511.47 hectares. It was established as a natural park on April 23, 2000.

A 2022 Mining Tenement Control Map of MGB showed pending mining agreements and permits for the upland towns: one Financial or Technical Assistance Agreement (FTAA) and 12 Exploration Permit (EP) applications.

The FTAA facilitates large-scale exploration and development of mineral resources by allowing foreign corporations to engage in mining activities in the country. In contrast, an EP is required for corporations to conduct exploration activities to identify economically and technically feasible mineral deposits.

“Mining operations – whether through pollution, sedimentation, or water diversion – would degrade water quality and reduce water flow, impacting the livelihoods of thousands who rely, either directly through farming or in towns that rely on this watershed,” the groups said.

Economic, health risks

The groups emphasized that the push for more potential mining sites contradicts the local government’s push for sustainable development through ecotourism.

“Beyond its environmental toll, mining diminishes long-term opportunities for sustainable development, undermining the vision of a thriving, ecologically balanced future for Antique,” they said.

The groups also stressed the devastating impacts of typhoons in Antique, such as Severe Tropical Storm Paeng (Nalgae) in 2022 and Frank (Fengshen) in 2008, warning that mining could further weaken the province’s already vulnerable environment.

“These calamities serve as a stark reminder of the consequences when fragile mountain ecosystems are degraded,” they said.

They warned that communities near the proposed mining areas face serious health and livelihood risks from contamination of air, soil, and water by chemicals used in mining.

The Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD) said the mining industry heavily uses mercury and cyanide, which are toxic, especially in high doses. PCIEERD pointed out that exposure to these chemicals can harm the nervous, respiratory, digestive, and immune systems.

Public hearing questioned

The groups questioned the validity of the MGB public hearing in San Remigio on November 26, 2024, pointing out that representatives from civil society groups and other affected areas were excluded. They said the hearing seemed more like a promotional campaign, focusing only on the benefits of mining and ignoring its environmental, social, and economic risks.

“By denying these communities the opportunity to voice their concerns, the MGB compromised the hearing’s integrity and undermined its legitimacy,” they said.

The MGB regional office also conducted public hearings in Sibalom and Patnongon on November 15 and December 5 last year.

Mining operations in Antique

As of 2023, the MGB in the region said Antique has no large-scale mining permits except for Semirara Mining and Power Corporation (SMPC), and all other firms are still in the exploration stage.

Tudor Mineral Exploration Corporation and Far East Cement Corporation are exploring marble and limestone deposits in Libertad, Antique.

SMPC, which operates open-cut mining in Semirara Island, Caluya, is the Philippines’ largest coal producer, accounting for 99% of domestic coal production and exports, according to 2022 data.

In March 2022, the Department of Environment and Natural Resources (DENR) approved the transfer of SMPC’s MPSA to Semirara Materials and Resources Incorporated, allowing it to begin commercial limestone production.

The province, rich in rivers, also has small-scale mining and quarry operations focused on non-metallic commodities like sand, gravel, marble, limestone, and silica. – Rappler.com